Castle in the Sky 2: Return to Laputa
by moviefan-92
Summary: Six years after the movie, Pazu and Sheeta meet a rival pirate gang of Dola, who seek the treasure left behind on Laputa. They join this pirate gang to search for Dola and rediscover Laputa. Bad summary, I know. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: Searching For Dola

**(A/N: My **_**Castle in the Sky**_** fic has begun. I'm sorry for those of you that have been waiting for it, but I had a little trouble pulling a plot together. This story probably won't be as long as my other Ghibli stories, but I still think it's going t0o be a good one. But I'll let you be the judge of that. So enjoy the first chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"**CASTLE IN THE SKY 2: RETURN TO LAPUTA"**

**Chapter 1: Searching for Dola**

The boss, as most people called him, raised an eyebrow at his strange guests. It wasn't everyday that people looking like this came around. Especially their leader. They were definitely not from around here. Everyone knew each other around here, and these folks had never been seen by him or anyone else.

"You must be talking about Pazu." The boss replied.

The leader of the group of strange folk just shrugged. "If he was the one involved with the Dola Gang a 6 years ago." She said.

This woman, Avalon she said was her name, who was seemingly the leader, was definitely the weirdest of the bunch. She must have had a bad accident considering the condition she was in. Her right arm and left leg were made of metal and she had a patch over her right eye. If the boss was honest, she creeped him out. Her 5 companions raised his suspicions as well, but at least they were whole.

"What do you want with Pazu?" the boss asked.

Avalon just waved it off. "We just have some questions for him. We're trying to find the Dola Gang, and according to our sources he's been in contact with them."

The boss considered this for a moment. He remembered the Dola Gang. How could he forget after all the trouble that they caused? But according to Pazu, they were good people, although the boss wasn't so sure. Still, if it was the Dola Gang that these people were after, then Pazu would be the one to decide what to tell them.

"He lives over there with his girlfriend." He replied, pointing to the road that led to Pazu's house. "It's that house up there on there on the hill."

Avalon nodded. "Thank you for your time, sir. With any luck he'll be able to tell us where the Dola Gang is."

She turned to leave, motioning for her comrades to follow her. They headed up to the house the boss showed them and knocked on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened and a woman of 19 with long brown hair made into pigtails opened the door.

"Yes, may I help you?" she asked kindly, not seeming to care about Avalon's appearance in the least.

Avalon smiled. "Hello dear, is there someone here named Pazu?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, is there a problem?"

Avalon shook her head. "No, not at all. We would just like to speak to him for little while, if that is alright."

"Oh yes, please come in. My name is Sheeta."

Avalon nodded as she and her companions entered the house. "Nice to meet you, Sheeta. I am Avalon. These men are my crew; Don, Janus, Boris, Kouji, and my brother, Ray."

"Nice to meet you." said Sheeta. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get Pazu."

She retreated out of the room, leaving her guests alone. Avalon and the others did just what Sheeta said and made themselves comfortable while they waited. Not too long later, Sheeta returned with a boy the same age as her.

"Hi there." Pazu greeted warmly. "I'm Pazu. What can I do for you?"

Avalon smiled. "Simply answer a few questions. You see, we're looking for the Dola Gang and were told that you know about them."

Both Pazu and Sheeta frowned before sharing a look. "Why would you want to know about them?" Sheeta asked.

"You're not cops or anything, are you?" asked Pazu.

Avalon and the others laughed. "No, no, nothing like that." Laughed Avalon. "We are friends with Dola. In fact, we're pirates ourselves."

Pazu and Sheeta looked surprised. "Really?" said Pazu. "You're pirates?"

"Of course." Said Avalon. "I met Dola years ago. There's always been a friendly rivalry between us to see who can get the treasure first. Dola can get quite competitive."

Sheeta snickered. "I'll say."

"So you've noticed." Said Avalon with a chuckle. "How long have you known Dola and her boys?"

"About 6 years now." Pazu replied. "They come and visit every so often, but we haven't seen them in 4 years."

Avalon frown. "So long? Darn. I was hoping you had known where they were."

"You know how they are, sis." Ray replied. "Always on the move. Finish one job and go right to another."

Avalon chuckled and nodded. "Yes, that's true. But I wonder if they ever found Laputa."

Sheeta and Pazu gasped. "You know about Laputa?" asked Pazu.

Avalon looked surprised that he asked. "But of course, dear boy. I told you that there's a friendly rivalry between Dola and I. For the past 7 years, she and I have been searching for Laputa to claim its treasures. I'm at a loss of what to do though. I've reached a dead end." She paused for a moment. "That's never happened before."

Pazu chuckled. "Sorry to rain on your parade, but she beat you 6 years ago."

"What?" gasped Avalon and her 5 comrades.

"Yeah, we found Laputa 6 years ago."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Sheeta nodded. "Yes, we were with Dola when Laputa was discovered."

Avalon crossed her arms. "Rats, beaten again. How on earth did she find it? Can you tell us?"

"It's a long story." Said Pazu.

Avalon shrugged. "Well, we're beaten, so we have nothing to do. Besides, I like long stories."

Ray snorted. "Yeah, she does." He muttered, earning him a glare from his sister.

Pazu and Sheeta told them the story of how they discovered Laputa. There was no longer a reason to worry about the floating castle being found since the _aetherium_ crystal was gone and could no longer point to Laputa's location. And even if Laputa was found again, its dangerous technology was destroyed and could no longer do any damage. So they had no problem revealing Laputa's secrets. They wanted to get as many believers as possible so everyone knew that Pazu's father was no lier.

Avalon and the others listened to the whole story. They gasped when they found out about Muska, a.k.a. _Romuska Palo Ul Laputa,_ and his intentions to use Laputa's power to take over the world. They were also equally as shocked to discover that Sheeta was also _Princess Lucita Toel Ul Laputa, _though the teens left out the part of how the _aetherium_ crystal only worked for her, just as a precaution And they looked more than relieved to find out that Muska had been defeated and Laputa's technology destroyed. When their story was finished, Avalon and the others literally had their mouths hanging open.

"That was quite a tale." Said Ray.

"I'll say." Avalon agreed. "But does that mean that Dola didn't get the treasure?"

"Oh no, they got a few handfuls." Pazu replied. "But yes, there was still lots more."

Avalon raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you want any?"

Pazu shrugged. "No, not really. Besides," he took Sheeta's hand, "I got the best thing Laputa has to offer."

Sheeta smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. "And I got the best thing the rest of the world has to offer."

Avalon snickered. "You two are so sweet. Sometimes I wish I could find someone for myself. But I'm not the kind of person to settle down. I need adventure. There's no room for romance in my life." She sighed and shook her head. "But I'm getting off topic. Forgive me. I'm 44 years old and I'm already rambling on like an old crone."

"You do that a lot." One of her men said.

Avalon glared at him. "Watch it or you'll walk the plank!" she snapped.

"Easy, sis." Said Ray.

Avalon took a calming breath. "Yes, I'm sorry." She turned back to Pazu and Sheeta. "So, would any of you happen to know where Dola is?"

Pazu and Sheeta shared a look. "Well, we don't really know. They normally just stay in their ship." Said Pazu.

"I thought you said it was destroyed." Said Avalon, remembering the part of their story of how the Tiger Moth was shot own by Goliath.

"They got another one." Sheeta replied. "That's what they used the treasure for."

Avalon tapped her chin. "Hmm, well, we won't be able to find them if they're flying. But we may be able to find them at one other place. They can't stay in the air all the time."

"Then they'll only be in one other place." Said Ray.

Avalon nodded. "That's right, Smuggler's Paradise."

Pazu and Sheeta looked confused.

"Smuggler's Paradise?" Pazu repeated.

"What's that?" asked Sheeta.

Avalon smirked. "Of course you wouldn't know about it. Smuggler's Paradise is a place for, as the government would call it, scum like us. It's a place only people such as Dola and I know of. Dola stops there all the time. Perhaps she's there now. And if she's not, we'll ask around, maybe get some clues as to where she went." She got up to leave, her crew mimicking her. "Thank you Pazu, Princess Lucita."

Sheeta turned red. "Please, call me Sheeta."

Avalon nodded. "Very well, Sheeta. Thank you for your time."

"No problem." Said Pazu. "Hope you find them."

"Say hi for us." Said Sheeta.

Avalon paused and looked at the two teens, seeming to be considering something. Then she smiled. "You know what, why don't you two come with us?"

"What?" exclaimed Pazu and Sheeta in surprise.

Avalon laughed at the looks on their faces. "Well, after that story you just told, we could use people like you. What do you say? You'll get to see Dola and her boys again. But we won't be able to take you on our next job. We'll bring you back right before we head out, or perhaps Dola can give you a ride. Either way, what do you say?"

Pazu and Sheeta looked at each other, thinking. "What do you say, Sheeta?" Pazu asked. "Up for another adventure?"

Sheeta smiled. "I wouldn't mind some adventure. And it would be great to see Dola and the others again."

Pazu nodded in agreement. "I agree. The boss can handle a few days without me." He turned back to Avalon. "Ok, we're in."

Avalon clamped her hands together. "Excellent. Let's go."

"Right now?"

Avalon nodded. "We're on a busy schedule. Don't worry, we have everything you'll need on our airship. Can you be ready in 5 minutes?"

"Uh… sure, I guess."

"Alright, we'll meet you outside. BUT, remember one thing, this is no vacation. On my ship everyone pulls their own weight."

With that she left them to get ready.

"Wow, she is a lot like Dola." Said Sheeta.

**(A/N: Pazu and Sheeta are off on another adventure to find Dola and her boys. Will they find them at this place called Smuggler's Paradise? There will be a lot more coming. By the way, who likes Avalon? She's practically another Dola, but you'll learn more about her and her crew later. Also, there will be answers to questions that weren't given in the movie, along with the characters' pasts revealed. So stay tuned for more and let me no what you think**


	2. Chapter 2: A Pirates Tale

**(A/N: This chapter is a little short, but the story is just getting started. The story will really get moving soon.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 2: A Pirate's Tale**

Avalon's ship, The Wind Rider, was larger than Dola's Tiger Moth, and was made of metal, just like any other ship. It had mechanical wings on the sides, allowing it to catch and ride the wind, which is where it got its name. Pazu and Sheeta were currently in the control room with Avalon and Ray, watching as the land below flew by.

"This is some ship, Avalon." Pazu observed.

Avalon cleared her throat. "While on my ship you are to address me as Captain." She ordered.

Pazu laughed. "You _do_ sound just like Dola."

Avalon shrugged. "You still have to call me Captain."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Said Pazu and Sheeta together.

Avalon cut her eye at them. "Don't do that."

"Aye, aye."

"I'm not kidding."

Ray laughed. "Better be careful, guys. Avalon-"

"Captain!"

Ray rolled his eyes. "Ok, _Captain_ may be nice and stuff when she's on the ground, but when she's on her ship she's the always serious captain."

"That I am?" Avalon growled. "And as captain I'm ordering you to dish duty for the rest of the week."

Ray groaned. "I hate dish duty."

Avalon shook her head as she looked over her compass and map. "Hmm, we should make good time. If my calculations are correct, we should reach Smuggler's Paradise at zero six-hundred tomorrow. As long as we don't run into any bad weather." She sat back and rolled her head around, cracking her neck. "I wonder how old Dola is doing. It's been so long."

"How did you meet Dola, Ava-Captain?" asked Sheeta, just catching her mistake.

Avalon smirked. "I was wondering when you would ask me that. Yes, it was about 22 years ago. Ray and I were just rookie pirates, but we still managed to get by. One day we heard a rumor of a moving castle, owned by a powerful wizard named Howl, that contained something sacred inside it. My brother and I went to investigate. As it turned out, the sacred item turned out to be nothing more than a fire-demon, so that job was practically a waste of time. I say practically because that was also the day I met Dola and her gang. They were pulling the same job as us, attempting to get inside the castle, which really moved by the way.

"Ever since then, the two of us have been friends. We always had a friendly competition over who can reach treasure first. Laputa has been our biggest job, but it looks like Dola beat me to that one."

"That's really cool." Said Pazu. "What other jobs have you pulled?"

Avalon chuckled. "Well, nothing like your adventure on Laputa, but we have had our share of adventures. Not all of them were profitable though. The job before Laputa was where I had my… accident." She tapped her metal hand on her metal leg.

"What happened?" asked Sheeta.

"Shark attack." Avalon replied. "We were trying to get into Atlantis. We had to retreat after I…" She shook her head. "Well, that's all in the past. All we can do is look to the future."

"What do you plan to do in the future?" Pazu asked, wondering what other legendary treasures Avalon and Dola would go after.

Avalon laughed. "There are several places I still plan to search. Whether I find treasure there or not is another story. And even if there is treasure, I would have to beat Dola to it."

"Where are you still planning on going?" asked Sheeta, just as curious as Pazu.

Avalon gave them a smug look. "If you're trying to distract me to get you out of your duties, I'm afraid it won't work." She smiled more broadly. "It's time to get to busy. What did you do on Dola's ship?"

"Well, I worked in the engine room mostly." Pazu replied.

"And I cooked and cleaned." Sheeta replied.

Avalon nodded. "Very well." She picked up a phone and waited a few seconds. "Don, I want you to come up here and get Pazu. Show him the engine room. He'll be helping you with your duties while he's here… Of course he can handle it… Yes, you still have to work too; what do you think I'm paying you for…? What do you mean I don't pay you, you share in the treasure… Just get up here before I make you walk the plank!"

She hung up aggressively and rubbed her forehead. That was when she noticed the looks Pazu and Sheeta were giving her. "You've got to constantly remind these guys who's boss." She muttered.

Once again, Pazu ended up in the engine room while Sheeta ended up in the kitchen. They didn't mind for both of them enjoyed this kind of work. At least it was a lot cleaner than Dola's ship.

"You know something, you're a natural." Said Don.

Pazu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Thanks. I've been doing stuff like this for years. Ever since I began living on my own."

Don frowned. "How long have you been on your own?"

Pazu finished tightening a bolt before answering. "Since I was 10. My boss was kind enough to give me a job. He's been like a second father to me. Although, I still miss my parents."

"I'm sorry, kid."

Pazu gave him a smile. "It's ok. As long as I have Sheeta, everything is alright."

Don chuckled. "You really love her, don't you?"

Pazu nodded. "With all my heart."

"And how old were you when you two met."

"We were 13."

Don's eyes widened. "And you went on that wild adventure with Dola at that age? I'm jealous. I didn't join Avalon's crew, until I was 20. But it was worth the wait. All that treasure, it's great. I still can't believe you didn't take any from Laputa."

Pazu shrugged. "There are more important things in life than treasure. Sheeta and I like a nice simple life, maybe some adventure here and there, but mostly a nice quiet life."

Don shook his head. "Not me. I love pirating. Stealing treasure, pulling jobs, cutting throats." He snickered at the stunned look on Pazu's face. "That last one was a joke."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Sheeta's cooking was as good as ever. Avalon and her crew hadn't eaten this well in ages. It was during dinner that Avalon told them of their progress.

"Alright everyone, we've made good timing. We should be arriving at Smuggler's Paradise right on schedule."

There were cheers from the crew, as they continued to fill up on Sheeta's fabulous cooking. It was right after dinner that Avalon ordered everyone to bed.

"We'll be up early tomorrow. Get some sleep now, because you won't get it later."

As the crew left, Avalon asked Pazu and Sheeta to stay behind.

"Is there a problem, Captain?" asked Pazu.

Avalon shook her head. "On the contrary, you two did a fabulous job. Don told me of all the hard work you did, Pazu. And Sheeta, you did excellent job at cooking and cleaning."

"Thank you, Captain." They said together.

Avalon smiled. "What do you say to staying with us?"

"What?" cried Pazu.

Avalon shrugged. "Why not? We could use crew members like you."

Sheeta smiled sheepishly. "That's very kind of you, Captain, but Pazu and I don't want to be pirates."

Avalon sighed. "That's too bad. We could have used a good crew like you two. Well, just think on it. If you change your mind, the positions are open. Now, off to bed. We've got plenty of sleeping bags. Come, I'll show you to your rooms."

She led the two of them through the ship, stopping only to get them a pair of sleeping bags from the closet.

"You can stay in here, Pazu." Said Avalon, showing him to an empty room. "This is normally where we store our treasure after a raid."

Pazu cocked his head to the side curiously. "What do you do with the treasure afterwards." He asked, as he laid down his sleeping bag.

Avalon smirked and shook her head. "Sorry, sonny, but that is something only my crew and I know. Now come, Sheeta, I'll show you to your room."

Sheeta didn't move. "If it's alright with you, Captain, I'd like to stay here with Pazu."

Avalon shrugged as she undid the bun her hair was in. "Suit yourself. But behave yourselves. You two need your sleep. We're up at 5:00am tomorrow. Sharp!"

She turned off the light and shut the door, leaving the couple behind.

"Wow, 5:00am, no wonder she's making us go to sleep so early." Said Pazu getting in his sleeping bag.

"I can handle getting up at 5:00 if it means getting to see Dola and the boys." Sheeta replied. "It's been so long."

"Yeah, it has." Pazu agreed. "I can't wait to see them again."

Sheeta turned to him and smiled. "Me too. Now scoot over."

Pazu did as he was told and made room for Sheeta, who climbed in the sleeping bag with him. She turned so her back was facing him and took his arm and wrapped it around her. Pazu smiled and kissed her hair.

"I love you, Sheeta."

"I love you too, Pazu."

**(A/N: This chapter has come to a close. Did you notice the reference I made to **_**'Howl's Moving Castle'**_**? And the reason for Avalon's missing limbs has been given, but there will be more on that later. Do you think Pazu and Sheeta will accept Avalon's offer to join her crew? Only I know the answer. I know that I suddenly seemed to just cut this chapter off, but it was necessary for how I'm beginning the next chapter. Hope to see you there**


	3. Chapter 3: Under Attack

**(A/N: Sorry this took so long. I've had a bit of a writer's block. Don't you hate those? They're such a pain.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 3: Under Attack**

The alarm going off woke Pazu and Sheeta from their slumber. A red light flashed simultaneously with the loud alarm.

"What's this?" Pazu muttered sleepily. "The wake up call?"

Sheeta was more awake and alert. "I don't think so."

"_Calling all crew! Calling all crew!"_ came Avalon's voice over the intercom. _"This is a code five! We have enemy ships coming in!"_

"Enemy ships?" gasped Pazu and Sheeta.

"_Report to your posts at once! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"_

Pazu and Sheeta hurried out of the room. Janus raced by them as he hurried to his post.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Pazu.

Janus skidded to a halt and turned to him. "What are you, deaf? Didn't you hear the captain? We're under attack!"

He took off again, leaving Pazu and Sheeta alone. They shared a look before hurrying to the control room. Avalon was barking orders at everyone, screaming into the intercom as the crew ran about performing their duties.

"Avalon, what's going on?" asked Pazu.

Avalon turned to him. "We're coming up on Smuggler's Paradise, but apparently, another ship decided to attack us."

"What for?" asked Sheeta.

The ship shook as the enemy fired at them. Avalon grabbed onto the captain's chair to steady herself. "In case we have any treasure."

"It's common around here." Ray explained. "Sometimes when ships come in, they'll be attacked and raided. We were careless coming in, that's why we're being attacked."

"Just hold onto sometime!" Avalon ordered, grabbing the intercom. "Boris, Kouji, ready at the guns?"

"_Left gunman, standing by!"_ came Boris' voice.

"_Right gunman, standing by!"_ came Kouji's voice.

"Fire at will!"

Gunfire shot out of the guns on the left and right side of the Wind Rider.

"What are they shooting at?" asked Pazu.

"Those!" Ray cried. A small ship, made for one person, flew by. "We count four, plus the main ship."

"_Make that three."_ Came Kouji's voice. _"I just took one down."_

"Well done, but don't celebrate yet." Said Avalon.

"This has to be illegal!" cried Pazu.

Ray gave him a weird look. "You really have no clue what Smuggler's Paradise is, do you?" He sighed. "Everyone here lives outside the law. That's why it's called Smuggler's Paradise."

"_Another one down!"_ cried Boris.

"Two down, plus the main ship." Avalon muttered. "Keep your eyes open, they're probably in the clouds."

"_Roger."_

The two remaining ships flew around the Wing Rider, firing at random, looking for areas of weakness. At one moment, a shower of bullets went across the window. The bullets passed through, but the glass was specially made, and didn't shatter when shot. Pazu grabbed Sheeta and pulled her to the floor as the bullets flew over their heads.

"Avalon, this is dangerous!" he shouted.

Avalon smiled, enjoying a good battle. "This is nothing. Don't worry, sonny. We've been in situations worse than this. Just leave it to me. You two take cover."

Not needing to be told twice, the two teens took cover behind a wall that would shield them from the bullets. The sound of bullets slamming into the ship echoed through the room as Avalon continued shouting into the intercom. Pazu held Sheeta tightly as the attack continued.

"Captain, we've spotted the mother ship!" shouted Ray.

"Where?"

"Starboard side!"

Avalon pressed her face up against the glass, her eye covered by the patch being used against her. She managed to make out the shadowy outline of the enemy ship in the clouds. Avalon smirked and turned to her brother.

"Lock on target." She said.

Ray began pressing buttons. "Target locked."

"_Got another one." _said Boris.

"Well, we're about to take out the main ship." Said Avalon. "Fire at will!"

Ray hit a large red button and the Wind Rider launched a missile. It slammed into the ship, creating a large explosion. The ship didn't explode, but it did catch fire and begin to lose altitude.

"Direct hit!" Ray cried. "The enemy ship is going down."

Avalon smirked. "Perfect. What of the last fighter?"

"It's retreating."

Avalon nodded. "Good. Now that the fire has stopped, lets go in for a landing. Boris, Kouji, return to your original positions. We're landing now."

"_Yes, Captain."_

Avalon smiled and turned to Pazu and Sheeta. "You two ok?"

The two came out of hiding. "I'm fine. You ok, Sheeta."

The princess nodded. "Yes, I'm alright."

Avalon nodded. "That's good. Now strap yourselves in, we're coming in for a landing."

Pazu and Sheeta quickly rushed over to some empty seats and strapped themselves in. It was a little bumpy, but the landing went well. Avalon immediately ordered a damage report.

"We'll get right on it." Said Janus.

"Now then, lets go see who had the nerve to attack us." Said Avalon.

They went outside. The mother ship that had attacked them had crash landed several feet away. The ship's occupants were shouting at each other for the way the battle had turned out.

Avalon smirked as she approached the group of people. "Well, well, Tetsuo, it's been a long time."

The leader of the group turned to Avalon. "You, I knew it was your ship, Avalon."

Avalon cocked her head to the side. "So, you decided to attack me just for the heck of it?"

"Shut up! I haven't forgotten how you robbed us?"

Avalon forced a yawn. "Oh, get over it already."

Pazu and Sheeta shared a confused look. "Um, you know them?"

Avalon smirked. "Yes, I do. That old buffoon is Tetsuo. He's another pirate that my men and I schemed with once before. Once the job was over, we took the loot and left them behind." She laughed at the surprised looks on Pazu and Sheeta's faces. "Hey, that's the life of a pirate for you."

"Yeah, and we're about to take your loot!" Tetsuo declared.

Avalon sighed, shaking her head. "I see you're as stupid as ever. We're not carrying anything valuable at the moment."

Ray laughed. "Looks like you attacked us and got your ship shot down for nothing."

Tetsuo growled angrily. "Fine then, we'll take whatever you do have! Men, move out!"

Tetsuo's men charged forward. Ray just sighed and motioned for Pazu and Sheeta to stand back. Avalon smirked and stepped forward, unscrewing her metal hand.

"Better turn away while you still can." She said.

She removed her metal hand and aimed at the approaching men. They skidded to a halt and immediately retreated. Avalon snickered as she watched them flee.

"Cowards, and you call yourselves men!"

There was a sound of thunder as something shot out of Avalon's arm. Tetsuo and his men ran off as the ground exploded where they had been standing. Apparently, Avalon's metal arm was also a grenade launcher of some kind.

"And don't come back!" she shouted. She turned to Pazu and Sheeta, screwing her hand back on. "Well, that takes care of them."

"How… how did you do that?" asked Pazu.

Avalon raised an eyebrow. "Do what? Oh, you mean my arm?" She smirked. "It has special modifications. It's very useful. Increased strength, gunfire, knife. Losing my real arm was bad, but this one is much better."

Sheeta looked at Avalon's metal leg. "Can your leg do anything?"

Avalon looked at her leg. "Well, it's very strong, but no, it's nothing special." She turned to her men. "You guys remain here in case they come back. We're going to go look for Dola and her boys. If they're here, I'm sure we can find them."

**(A/N: There ya go, a little action for you. How do you like Avalon's secret cannon? That will be important later****. See ya next time.)**


	4. Chapter 4: Smuggler's Paradise

**(A/N: The next chapter has arrived. I was told to be a little more descriptive with my surroundings, so I tried to do so.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 4: Smuggler's Paradise**

Avalon turned to Pazu and Sheeta, giving them a smile. "Ready to go?" They nodded, still looking a little nervous from the battle. "Alright then. Stay close, this place can get a little rough."

Janus, Boris, and Don stayed behind with the ship as Avalon and Ray led Pazu and Sheeta through the place known as Smuggler's Paradise. They immediately decided that the place wasn't named properly. This place was anything but a paradise. It was foul, smelly, and had the worst type of people imaginable running lose in the streets, some of them openly stealing and fighting. In fact, during the few short moments that they looked around, they saw three people get pick-pocketed. This was definitely not a nice place to live.

"This is a paradise?" asked Sheeta. She immediately covered her mouth, looking terrified about what she just said. "Oh, Avalon! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to insult your way of life!"

Avalon laughed. "My way of life? This place? Sheeta, just take a look around. No one _lives_ here. This is a place where thieves, pirates, smugglers, and other kinds of crooks come to restock, get supplies, and rest up. Everyone here is a thief, keep that in mind. There is no law here. It's every man for themselves. The police would really love to get their hands on this place. But luckily, only people like us know about it."

Pazu put his arm around Sheeta protectively. "So Dola and the boys are here?" he asked.

Avalon shrugged. "Maybe. They could be pulling another job, but they'll always come back here. I guess we'll have to just ask around and see if anyone knows where they are. If they're not here, maybe we can find out where they've gone."

"Are you sure there isn't an easier way?" asked Pazu. "This sounds like looking for a needle in a hey stack."

Avalon smirked. "Perhaps, but if they are here, I know one place that Dola will definitely be."

"Where's that?" the teens asked.

Ray laughed. "Of course. Treasure Cove."

That sounded reasonable, considering the type of person Dola was. "What's Treasure Cove?" asked Sheeta.

"A bar." Avalon replied. "It's the only place that sells Dola's favorite drink. It's a special kind of rum."

"What is it with pirates and rum?" Pazu wondered out loud.

Avalon snickered. "Just follow me. I'll buy you two a drink."

"But we're not old enough to drink." Said Sheeta.

Ray chuckled. "We just told you that we live outside the law here."

"I think we'll pass anyway." Said Pazu.

Avalon shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just stay close and make sure you have everything. Oh, and try to look like you belong. If they figure out you're not one of us they'll target you."

"We didn't bring anything valuable anyway." Said Pazu, though he still looked uneasy.

"Doesn't mean you still won't get mugged. Just stay close, it's not far now."

She led them through Smuggler's Paradise. Occasionally some people would give them curious looks, but a glare from Avalon quickly made them look away. A few people even greeted Avalon, and she would respond simply by nodding her head.

"You're pretty popular around here, Avalon." Sheeta observed.

Ray laughed. "No, not popular. People just recognize her because of her appearance. How many people do you know that look like her?"

He realized his mistake too late. Avalon's fist smashed into his jaw. Her metal fist actually. She glared down at her brother, twitching on the floor.

"Insensitive jerk!" she cried, giving him a kick before turning to leave. "Pazu, Sheeta, come on."

The teens hesitated. "What about your brother?" asked Sheeta, giving him a worried look.

Avalon didn't even slow down. "Leave him!"

Pazu and Sheeta hesitantly followed. Ray eventually forced himself to his feet and hurried after them, making sure to keep a distance from his fuming sister.

"Ah, there's the Treasure Cove." Said Avalon.

The name seemed suitable. On the top of the bar was a giant treasure chest. Avalon kicked the door open and marched in like she owned the place. It was pretty crowded, but hardly anyone looked up as they entered. Probably because they was so much else going on, including several bar fights and drinking contests

Avalon marched over to the bar and sat down. "Yo, Kenta, give me the usual." She ordered.

The middle-aged man behind the counter, Kenta, nodded and filled up a mug, passing it to Avalon.

"Who are the kids?" he asked casually.

"Some friends." Avalon replied, drinking half her glass in one gulp.

"Well, what'll they have?"

"Um, I'll have an ice tea, please." Said Sheeta.

Kenta raised an eyebrow as Avalon and Ray laughed.

"They don't serve kiddy drinks here." said Avalon. "Give them an order of number 7."

"Comin' right up."

He handed them they're drinks. Pazu hesitated before taking a sip. He had to resist making a disgusted face.

"What is this?" he cried.

"A real man's drink." Said Ray, draining his glass.

Sheeta gave the drink a curious look before raising the glass to her lips. Pazu placed his on her shoulder and shook his head, telling her not to drink it. She decided to take his advice.

"So, Kenta, seen Dola around recently?" Avalon asked.

Kenta sighed, filling another glass. "Still so competitive, eh?"

Avalon smirked. "Of course."

"And you're still after Laputa, I assume."

"Just answer the question."

Kenta sighed again. "Well, you're in luck. She and boys stopped in just the other day."

Pazu jumped up. "You mean Dola and the others are really here?" He turned to his girlfriend. "You hear that Sheeta? We'll get to see Dola again!"

Sheeta looked overjoyed. "I know, it's wonderful! We haven't seen them in so long!"

Avalon smirked. "Guess we got a lucky break. I better tell the boys." She pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Don, Boris, Kouji, Janus, come in. Dola and her gang are in the area. Meet us at the Treasure Cove. Hey, I'm talking to you! Come in!" She tapped the walkie-talkie. "Darn it, you better not be sleeping on the job!"

Some static came from the other end before one of the boys, they couldn't tell which, answered.

"_Captain! We have a problem here!"_

"What's the problem?" asked Avalon impatiently.

"_Tetsuo and his men came back! They brought backup! Captain, we need help!"_

Avalon growled impatiently. "Darn it, must I do everything myself? Alright, hang on, we'll be right there." She turned to Pazu and Sheeta. "You two stay here. It'll be safer. We'll be back as soon as we can. Just stay with Kenta."'

"Ok." Pazu muttered.

"Come on, Ray!"

"Right behind you, sis!"

They took off, leaving a very nervous Pazu and Sheeta behind with Kenta. They huddled together, trying not to look like outsiders.

The barman gave them a curious look. "So, how'd you kids get involved with them?" he asked.

"We're friends with Dola." Sheeta explained. "Avalon wanted to know if we knew where they were. They asked us if we wanted to come with them to find Dola."

"I see." Kenta muttered. "Well be careful around them, they're crazy. Both Avalon and Dola. They think that they're going to find some flying castle called Laputa. It's a load of rubbish."

Pazu slammed his fist on the counter. "It is not! Laputa _is_ real!" He was still sensitive with people's disbelief about Laputa after what happened with his father.

Kenta rolled his eyes. "Ah, so she's gotten to you too. Well, you can go running after imaginary castles if you want, but I've got an actual job to do."

He went back to serving customers, acting as if nothing had happened. Pazu sat down, looking grumpy. Sheeta patted his shoulder trying to cheer him up. She was feeling a little irritated with Kenta too. Why couldn't people be a little more open minded?

"Why are you trying to find Dola anyway?" Kenta asked.

"We haven't seen them in years." Said Sheeta. "Avalon said we could come with them to go search."

"And a little adventure every now and then is good." Pazu added.

Kenta snorted. "You'll get more than a little adventure if you hang out with people like her." He sighed. "Look, you seem like nice kids, so I'm going to help you out."

"You are?" cried Sheeta.

Kenta nodded. "Yes. Dola may be crazy, but she's a good person, unlike some of the people around her." He looked around the bar at the scum of people. "Just remember that I'm doing this to get you out of danger."

Pazu blinked in confusion. "Get us out of danger? What do you mean?"

Kenta shook his head. "I don't want to get involved in this any further. So here…" He wrote down something on a piece of paper and handed it to them. It was a very badly drawn map, but it seemed simple enough to follow. "Dola's sons came in here yesterday. I know where they're staying until they find their next heist. Just follow this map and you'll find them."

"Wow, thanks!" said Pazu. "But why didn't you give this to us earlier."

"Don't ask questions." Kenta snapped, looking around nervously. "Just take it and go now, while you still can, and don't tell anyone you got this from me."

Sheeta and Pazu shared a confused look. "Ok, we just have to wait for Avalon to come back." Said Sheeta.

Kenta shook his head. "No, you have to go now." He lowered his voice. "This place has some _bad_ people. You're not safe here. Leave, hurry."

His serious tone was enough to get Pazu and Sheeta moving.

"Ok, just tell Avalon where we've gone." Said Pazu.

They hurried out of the bar, keeping their eyes open for anything that Kenta might have referred to as dangerous. The people around them didn't look like the nicest bunch, but they certainly didn't look dangerous.

"What got into him all of a sudden?" Sheeta wondered out loud.

Pazu shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe he saw some people that were friends with that Tetsuo person."

Sheeta gulped. "I hope not." She looked around at all the strange people. Suddenly she didn't feel that safe and she clung to Pazu.

"Don't worry." He told her. "All we have to do is follow Kenta's map, and it'll lead us straight to where Dola is staying. It's this place called The Lazy Inn. It's not that far." He took her hand. "Come on."

He pulled her along through the crowd. A few people glanced at them, but did nothing. Still, the looks they were receiving weren't friendly ones. They had begun to wish that they had stayed at the bar, regardless of what Kenta said.

"Pazu, how much further is it?" Sheeta asked nervously.

"It should be just up ahead. Yeah, there it is!"

The words _Lazy Inn,_ painted in large black letters over a rundown inn were in sight. The two teens made a run for it, relieved when they burst through the doors. The woman behind the counter gave them a curious look as they hurried in.

"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked, startling them.

"…Uh, yeah." Said Pazu. "We were told that the Dola Gang was staying here. We're friends with them. Could you tell us what room they're in?"

The woman sighed. "Look, kid, I can't give out that sort of information to you." She smirked slightly. "Unless you're willing to pay."

Pazu and Sheeta were surprised at first, but then they remembered what Avalon said about what kind of people lived in this place called Smuggler's Paradise.

"No, that's alright." Said Pazu. "Thanks anyway."

They went back outside, but stayed by the door in case they needed to run back inside.

"What now?" asked Sheeta.

Pazu looked at Kenta's map again. "Well, I suppose we should head back to the bar. Hopefully Avalon came back."

"But after what Kenta said, I don't feel safe there." Said Sheeta.

Pazu nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But I'm sure Avalon wouldn't have left us if it hadn't been safe."

"Unless it was only _safer_ than where she was going." Sheeta pointed out. "She was going into a battle."

Pazu had to admit that she had a point. "Don't worry, I'll protect you if anything should happen."

Sheeta gave him a smile. "Thanks, Pazu. I know I can always count on-"

"Move it, kids!" snapped a man, pushing them out of the way as he and another man rushed by.

"How rude!" cried Sheeta.

The two men ignored her. "Hurry up!" said the first man. "Mom is going to be mad we took so long."

Pazu and Sheeta looked at each other. "Hey, did he just say…"

"…Mom?" Sheeta finished.

They followed the two men, unable to tell who they were from behind. Not realizing that they were being followed, the two men unlocked one of the inn's rooms and went inside.

"Finally!" Came the voice of an old woman. "What took you boys so long?"

"Sorry, Mom." said the second man.

"I told you ta call me Capt-"

The door shut, cutting off the conversation from Sheeta and Pazu. But they had heard all they needed. That nagging voice, that harsh tone, that demand that they be called Captain instead of Mom. There was only one person that could be.

"Dola!" cried Sheeta and Pazu.

**(A/N: It looks like they found Dola. Hooray, they're finally going to be reunited after all these years. But what about Avalon and her gang? Are they alright? You'll have to find out next time****. By the way, was I being more descriptive. I was trying to make Smuggler's Paradise seem like Tortugo from 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. But if anyone knows anything else that I can do to improve my story, please tell me. I want to know so I can make improvements.)**


	5. Chapter 5: Betrayal

**(A/N: Got another chapter for you. The reunion of Pazu, Sheeta, and the Dola Gang is here at last enjoy.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 5: Betrayal**

Shaking with excitement, Pazu knocked on the door. There was a crash from inside as something broke and an angry scream from someone. The voice of an old woman got closer to the door until it burst open to reveal a familiar, yet slightly older, face.

"And that is coming out of your allowance!" the woman cried to someone inside before turning to the teens. "What?"

Pazu and Sheeta jumped. "D-Dola?" the former asked.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Who wants ta know?" she demanded. She looked them up and down. "Who are you? You look familiar. Have we met before?"

"Of course we have!" Sheeta cried. She wasn't all that surprised that Dola didn't recognize them since it had been four years since they had last seen each other. "We met about six years ago, and you last visited us four years ago."

Dola looked confused. "Four years ago?" she repeated.

"Mom, who's at the door?" asked one of the boys, coming to take a look.

Dola pushed him back. "Quiet, an' call me Captain!" she shouted, turning back to the teens. "Four years ago, you say? Hmm, you do seem like… could you be… are you?"

Her eyes widened with recognition as her mouth dropped open.

Pazu waved to her. "Long time no see, Captain."

Dola's face lit up. "Pazu! Sheeta!" she cried, pulling them both into a hug.

"WHAT?!?" cried the boys, rushing to the door, getting stuck in the small frame.

"Sheeta?"

"Pazu?"

"No way!"

"Look, it is them!"

Dola glared at the boys. "Quite crowdin' around!" she scolded. "You two, get in here."

She pulled the teens into the room, closing the door behind them. They were immediately surrounded by everyone, enveloped in hugs and having their hands shaken. It was an unexpected, yet warm welcome.

"Wonderful to see you again!"

"How did you find us?"

"How have you been?"

"Look how much you've both grown!"

"Stop with the yappin'!" Dola shouted over everyone. "How d'you expect them ta answer with all you talkin' at once?"

Pops chuckled. "Now dear, the boys are just excited. It's been ages since we've seen them."

Pazu cut his eyes at Dola, giving her an accusing look. "Yeah, you guys said you would visit." He teased.

"Hey!" Dola snapped, playing along with Pazu's fake anger. "We're pirates! We get busy!" She couldn't hide her smile. "Oh, but it's so good ta see you again."

"It's great to see you to, Dola." Said Sheeta. "I can't believe it's been four years."

"You wouldn't come see us, so we came to you." said Pazu.

Dola shrugged. "We wanted to visit, but things are easier said than… Wait, how in the heck did you find us anyway?"

"We came with some friends of yours." Said Sheeta. "They were looking for you too, and tracked you down to our house, then they offered us a ride here."

"Friends, you say." Said Dola.

Charles, Dola's eldest son, looked at his bearded brother. "Mom has friends?"

Dola whacked him over the head. "Of course I have friends!" She pointed at Pazu and Sheeta. "What do you think they are?"

"Crew?" asked Dola's youngest son, Henri.

"You idiot." Said Dola. She turned back to the teens. "So how have things been goin' between you? Let me see it, Sheeta."

Sheeta looked confused. "See what?"

Dola grabbed her hand. "Why the ri-" She realized that what she was looking for wasn't there. "What, no ring? You two haven' tied the knot yet?"

Both Pazu and Sheeta blushed. "Well, we're planning on it, just not quite yet." Said Pazu.

"Yeah, we just want to get everything in order before we get married." Sheeta added.

Dola crossed her arms. "Geez, I would have thought that you two would be married with a kid on the way by now." She turned to Pops. "Guess I owe you two gold coins."

The two teens blushed again. "We want to wait a little longer before having children." Said Sheeta.

"Hey Sheeta," cried one of the boys, "if you don't want to marry Pazu, you can marry me!"

"No, marry me!" shouted another.

"Quiet, all of you!" Dola scolded. "I'll not have this sort of behavior on my ship!"

Her middle son, Lui, raised his hand. "But Mom, we're not on your-"

"Not another word out of you!"

"Dear, you don't have to shout." Said Pops.

"I'm the captain! I'll shout if I want!"

"You don't want the manager to kick us out for disturbing anyone."

"Ha, I'd like ta see 'em try!"

Pazu chuckled. "Well, I'm sure Avalon will let you stay with us."

The Dola Gang fell silent. Pazu and Sheeta frowned at the strange looks on their faces.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Pazu.

"Did you say Avalon?" asked Dola.

Pazu nodded. "Yeah, they're the friends we mentioned."

Lui slammed his fist on the table. "That woman is no friend of ours!"

Pazu and Sheeta looked surprised. "But they knew all about you." said the latter. "She said the two of you had a friendly rivalry for treasure hunts."

Dola growled. "Oh, there's rivalry alright, but it's anything but friendly. Are you tellin' me that Avalon and her crew are here?" The teens nodded. Dola jumped to her feet. "Men, we're movin' out! Return ta the ship at once!"

The boys began running about, gathering everything they needed. Pazu and Sheeta looked confused.

"Uh, Dola, what's going on?" Pazu asked.

"That woman is dangerous." Dola growled. "Anything she told you was a lie. She was just usin' you. Come on, you're comin' with us."

"Dangerous? Avalon?" said Sheeta.

Suddenly what Kenta said made sense. The dangerous people he was talking about was Avalon and her crew. That was why he wanted them to leave before she came back. That was why he didn't want to get involved, because Avalon would go after him. Had she really been playing them from the beginning?

"Is the cost clear?" Dola asked.

Charles poked his head out the door, looking around. "Yeah, it's clear, Mom."

"Then lets go!"

They made a run for it, pulling Pazu and Sheeta along with them. The two teens quickly lost track of where they were going as they depended on Dola and the boys to direct them. Eventually they reached a place that had a bunch of aircrafts all lined up. Among them was the Tiger Moth II. Like the original Tiger Moth, it was made of cloth, and had a similar design, but was an entirely different ship.

"Get the engine started!" Dola ordered, once they were inside. "We're leavin' now! Pazu, Sheeta, you two stay with me. I'm not goin' ta let that woman get her hands on you again."

Sheeta held a look of worry and betrayal on her face. "Is she really that bad?" she asked.

"Probably as bad as Muska." Dola repliedm, making the teen gasp. "She may not be out ta conquer the world, but she'll do anythin' to get her hands on treasure. Now strap yourselves in, we're takin' off!"

The Tiger Moth II took to the sky, nearly crashing into some of the other aircrafts in its hast to take off. The two next to it actually grazed against the sides, but since it was made of cloth, not much damage was made to the Tiger Moth II or the ships next to it.

"How's our altitude?" Dola asked.

"Looking good." Said one of the boys.

"Alright, then lets get out of this place." She looked at Sheeta and Pazu. "We'll, take you two home, but you might want ta stay with some friends for awhile in case Avalon comes lookin' for you."

Pazu looked extremely depressed. "I can't believe she tricked us like that so easily." He said miserably.

Dola shook her head. "Don't blame yourselves. She's very good at readin' people. She knows how ta gain their trust and how ta manipulate them. And she knows enough about me ta pass herself off as a friend." She snorted. "Friends, us, never in this world or the next. I swear I'm goin' ta get that woman if it's the last thing I-" She stopped talking as the ship shook violently, almost as if something had collided with it. "Crimany! What the devil was that?"

"Enemy fire!" cried Lui. "There's a ship on our tail! It's firing on us!"

"It's the Wind Rider." Said Sheeta, looking out the window.

"Avalon." Dola growled. "How bad is it?"

"They're firing on the left and right sides." Henri replied.

Pazu suddenly remembered how Avalon had taken down Tetsuo's ship. "Dola, Avalon has mobile guns on the far left and right side of her ship. She'll draw you in until you're directly in front of her then launch a missal."

Dola look worried for a moment, but nodded. "Good to keep in mind. You all hear that? Avoided gettin' in front of the ship!"

"We're already in front of them!" one of the boys cried.

Dola growled. "Then move!"

"But we'll be hit by their gunfire."

"I said move! We'll worry about the damage later!"

Bullets tore through the Tiger Moth II, slamming into the metal center. The ship began tilting to the side as the cloth on the left side was torn to ribbons. Then it happened. Regardless of being directly in front of the Wind Rider or not, Avalon had launched a missal. The right side of the Tiger Moth II went up in flames as the missal exploded.

"Mayday, mayday! We are going down! Captain, we are going down!"

"Prepare for crash landin'!" Dola shouted, pulling on her seatbelt. "Strap yourselves in, this is goin' ta be rough!"

Pazu grabbed Sheeta and pulled her into a chair. He pulled the seatbelt over both of them and held her tightly as the Tiger Moth II did a nosedive, slowly descending from the sky. It crashed face first into the ground, sliding along until it finally came to a halt. Flames spread quickly as the cloth caught fire.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" Dola shouted.

"But we already lost my first Tiger Moth!" Pops cried.

Dola rolled her eyes. "Then stay here and burn!" she said sarcastically.

Pops hesitated for a full five seconds before he ran screaming out of the ship with the others. They made it outside, a little banged up and having a coughing fit from the smoke, but unharmed.

"Sheeta, are you- _cough, cough_ –ok?" Pazu asked.

Sheeta coughed a bit. "Yes, I'm fine."

Pops was openly crying as he looked at the burning Tiger Moth II. "My ship… My ship…"

Dola grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her. "Forget about the ship! We need ta leave right now!"

Charles pointed to the sky with a look of horror on his face. "Mom, they're coming!"

The Wind Rider was descending. It didn't land, but continued to hover a few feet above the ground. None of them tried to run away for fear of being shot at. The door opened and Avalon hopped out. She smirked as she turned to the others.

"Pazu, Sheeta, you two don't listen very well." She said, no longer putting up a friendly front. "I told you to stay where you were."

Pazu stood protectively in front of Sheeta, glaring at Avalon. "Yeah, well we learned just who you really are."

This made Avalon snicker. "Did you now? Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore. But I'm actually surprised that you trusted us so easily. Didn't you're parents teach you not to trust strangers?"

"You tricked us." Said Sheeta.

Avalon shrugged. "It's not my fault you're so naïve. But I guess I am a bit too if I thought that Kenta wouldn't try to help you like he did. I had to… _persuade_ him to tell me where you went."

Pazu felt Sheeta grip his arm tightly. "What did you do to him?" he demanded, also worried about the bartender's safety.

Avalon just waved it off. "He'll be fine. He's walking it off. I have several methods to persuade people into telling me what I want. Don't worry, he won't have any lasting damage." Her remaining eye turned to Dola. "It's been a long time, Dola. I see your hair has turned gray."

Dola glared at her with the deepest loathing. "Avalon, I see you're still up ta your old tricks, usin' Pazu and Sheeta to find us."

Avalon shook her head. "Dola, Dola, Dola. You still don't see the big picture. I need them, just like I need you. You've all been to Laputa, and I need you all to take me there."

"Why?" asked Pazu. "All the technology is gone."

Avalon just laughed. "I don't care about the technology." She said, as she began unscrewing her metal hand. "The treasure is still there, and I want it." She removed her hand and aimed at them. "And you're going to take me there."

**(A/N: I bet you didn't see that coming. That's right, Avalon and her crew are the villains here. I just love twists. And if she was really lying about everything, how does she know Dola, and why do they hate each other? You'll find out next time. So stay tuned for more and tell me what you think.)**


	6. Chapter 6: Past Grudges

**(A/N: Avalon and Dola's pasts together are finally going to be revealed. You'll find out why they hate each other and what happened to Avalon that made her lose her limbs and eye.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 6: Past Grudges**

Pazu and Sheeta were once again on the Wind Rider, this time as hostages rather than passengers. They weren't the only ones. The Dola Gang was there too, also as hostages. They were currently confined in an empty room, with no windows or furniture. It felt like a prison, basically was what it was.

"We're really sorry for getting you involved with this." said Sheeta.

"Don't apologize." Said Dola. "It was _us_ that got you kids involved. Avalon went after you simply because you knew us."

The boys, excluding Pazu and Pops, were crying. "We're so sorry Sheeta!"

"This is all our fault!"

"We got our precious Sheeta involved in this!"

"Quit with the cryin'!" Dola shouted. "This room echoes! Stop whinin' like a bunch of babies and untie yourselves."

"But Mom, these ropes are really tight." Said Lui.

"Don't make excuse! You're the one that's always rippin' your shirts ta show off your muscles! A little rope should be nothin' for you!"

"Mom, Lui has chains, not rope." Said Henri. "Avalon really knows us too well."

"How are you guys involved with her?" asked Pazu.

Everyone was silent, looking like they dreaded what was about to happen. All of Dola's boys hung their heads, looking at their leader out of the corner of their eyes.

"Well…" Dola muttered. "What did she tell you?"

"She said that she first met you while trying to break into a moving castle to steal a treasure." Said Sheeta. "And ever since then you've had a friendly rivalry as to who could get the treasure first."

Dola growled. "Well, that part is true, expect for the part of us havin' a _friendly_ rivalry. Avalon will use any dirty trick ta get her hands on treasure. We both hold a powerful grudge against each other."

"Why? What happened?" asked Pazu, carefully.

Dola sighed sadly, resting her head back against the cold metal. "Pazu, Sheeta, you've known me and my boys for a long time, but there was one member of my crew that you never met. My youngest son, Eddy."

"Eddy?" Pazu repeated. "Who's Eddy?"

Dola's boys began crying again. "Our poor brother!"

"Why did it have to happen this way?"

"We'll never forgive her!"

It didn't take much for Pazu and Sheeta to figure out what had happened to this Eddy and who _'she'_ was.

"Never mind, you don't have to tell us." Said Pazu quickly.

Dola sighed again, shaking her head. "No, you have a right ta know after we got you mixed up in this. Pazu, Sheeta, get ready for a long sad story." She took a deep breath. "You see, Laputa isn't the only legendary city we've tried to get to. I'm sure you've both heard about Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Sheeta repeated.

"Atlantis is real?" Pazu asked.

"Of course it's real!" Dola shouted. "You can't tell me that you find Atlantis hard ta believe in after havin' been ta Laputa!"

Pazu winced. "Sorry. You're right. I believe you."

"Good, because it is real. My crew and I were over the location Atlantis was when Avalon showed up. This wasn't the first time she showed up ta steal the treasure before us. She used dirty tricks before, but this time she went too far. We had more information on Atlantis than she did, so she took Eddy hostage in order ta get information from him. And once she got it… she… she… k-k-ki-"

Dola closed her eyes and looked away, unable to continue.

"Oh Dola, I'm so sorry." said Sheeta.

Dola shook her head. "It was a long time ago." She said. "But we'll never forget, or ever forgive Avalon for what she did." Her eyes filled with fury. "I went after her for revenge. We got into a swordfight. I cut her across the eye and pushed her overboard, into the shark infested waters."

"We thought she was gone for good." Said Pops. "The sharks got her, but she only lost an arm and a leg."

"So that's why you guys hate each other so much." Said Sheeta. "You hate Avalon for what she did to Eddy, and Avalon hates you for causing her to lose her limbs and eye."

"It's pathetic really." Said Avalon, as she entered the room. "You're still upset over that kid's death."

"He was my son, you heartless monster!" Dola shouted.

She lunged at Avalon, but was held back by her bindings and fell over.

"Idiot." Avalon muttered. "I still can't believe a loser like you made it to Laputa before me."

Dola managed to smile. "You'll never get ta Laputa."

Avalon frowned. "Oh, why not?"

"You don't have the _aetherium_ crystal. You'll never find Laputa without it."

"Oh, is that so?" Avalon smirked. "You mean _this_ kind of crystal?"

Dola's eyes widened as Avalon held up an _aetherium_ crystal. This one was identical to the one Sheeta had, only it was red instead of blue.

"But how?" asked Sheeta.

Avalon turned to her. "You were not the only one with an _aetherium_ crystal, my dear. Muska told you himself that he too was of royal decent from Laputa. This crystal once belonged to him."

Sheeta's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes." Said Avalon. "But he could never figure out how to make it work, which was why he informed the government about Laputa's existence, so he had resources to information that was otherwise unreachable. Dola and I found out about Laputa through a leak in information, isn't that right, Dola?"

Dola growled. "Yes."

Avalon chuckled. "We each kept close watch over Muska, waiting for our chance. I beat Dola to him and stole the crystal. This was why he came after you, Princess. He didn't know who I was or where I went, but in his search for answers to Laputa's location, he discovered you, the last of the Laputans besides him, the only other one with an _aetherium_ crystal."

"So… the whole reason Muska came for me, was because you stole his _aetherium_ crystal." Sheeta whispered.

Avalon nodded. "Yes, and Dola came after you for the same reason. As for me, I may have gotten the crystal but I didn't know how to make it work." She held the crystal in her hand tightly. "I spent the last six years tracking you down. All of you. And now that I have, I want you to tell me how to make it work. All of you have been to Laputa, and now you're going to take me there."

"I'll never do it!" Sheeta shouted.

Avalon's remaining eye landed on her. "You'll never do it? _You'll_ never do it?"

Fear filled Sheeta's eyes as she realized her mistake. Avalon grinned as she approached the young girl. "Is there something you'd like to tell me, Princess? Something about how, perhaps, only you can work the crystal?"

"It's not like that!" Pazu shouted. "She meant that she's not going to help you. And neither am I."

Avalon chuckled. "Is that so?" She turned to Pazu. "You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

"I'm not helpin' you either!" Dola cried, going along with Pazu lie.

"Me neither!" said Charles.

Avalon smirked. "So, you think you can fool me?" A nine inch blade popped out of the top of her metal wrist, just beneath the part where her hand disconnected. She cut the bonds on Sheeta's feet, but left her hands tied.

"Sheeta!" Pazu cried. "Let her go!"

"Relax." Said Avalon. "I wouldn't want to hurt the key to Laputa's treasure. We're just going to have a little talk."

"Sheeta!"

Avalon pulled Sheets out of the room, slamming the door behind her as she led Sheeta through the room.

"Let me go!" Sheeta cried.

Avalon pushed her into a chair. "Quiet. I don't feel like listening to your whining. I spent years trying to find Laputa, I won't wait any longer. I had thought that you, your boyfriend, and Dola had information on how to get to Laputa, but all I really needed was you."

"It's not me." Sheeta insisted.

"Don't try to fool her." said Ray, entering the room. "It's impossible to lie to her."

"You let it slip earlier." Said Avalon. "You said that you'll never help me."

"Yeah, neither will the others." Said Sheeta.

Avalon shook her head. "My brother wasn't exaggerating when he said that it's impossible to lie to me; I can always tell when someone is lying. You're the key to making this crystal work, you know it and I know it."

Sheeta turned away. "Even if that's true, I'll never help you. You'll just kill us once I do."

Avalon sighed. "You're really making this difficult. What makes you think I'll kill you?"

"You killed Dola's son." Sheeta pointed out.

"Only because he wouldn't cooperate." Avalon explained. "I have no reason to harm you or Pazu. After I get Laputa's treasure, I'll drop you off at Smuggler's Paradise."

Sheeta eyed her suspiciously. "What about Dola and the boys? You'll kill them."

Avalon shook her head. "No, I won't. I'm sure Dola told you, but I'm very greedy. The Dola Gang is wanted for thievery. There will be a nice reward for turning them in. That is what I intend to do, bring them to the authorities and collect the bounty. I'm sure they'll escape eventually, so you don't need to worry about them. See, no one will get hurt if you cooperate."

She looked at the Laputan princess expectedly. Sheeta turned away. "I don't believe you."

Avalon slapped her, deliberately not using her metal hand so she wouldn't hurt her too much, but she wanted the stubborn girl to know that she was serious.

"I'm not playing around with you, Princess. If you won't cooperate, I'll just have to make you." She turned to her brother. "Bring me Pazu."

Fear filled Sheeta's eyes. "What are you going to do to Pazu?"

The blade popped out of Avalon's wrist. "You'll see. And it certainly won't be pretty." She smirked. "Tell me Sheeta, do you know how many methods of torture there are. I know several of them, but I have yet to try them out. Since you won't cooperate, I'll just try out a few methods on him."

"NO!!!" Sheeta shouted. "Don't hurt him!"

"My original offer still stands. If you do what I say, no one will get hurt." She walked over to Sheeta and placed the _aetherium_ crystal on her lap. "So, what's it going to be… Princess?"

Avalon smirked as she looked at the frightened teenagers. Sheeta hung her head in defeat and said the words that showed the way to Laputa.

**(A****/N: The path to Laputa has been revealed once again. I always wondered why Muska didn't have a crystal if he too was of royal descent. Anyway, Avalon and Dola's pasts have been revealed. Now you know why they hate each other so much. But Avalon promises not to hurt Dola or her gang if Sheeta cooperates. But does she really intend to get the bounty on the Dola Gang, or is this just a way to fool Sheeta? You'll find out soon enough.)**


	7. Chapter 7: Arrival

**(A/N: As you can tell by the chapter title, our heroes, and villains, arrive at Laputa. What's going to happen now, and will Avalon keep her word about not hurting Dola and the others? Wait and see.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 7: Arrival**

"Why did you tell her?" Dola demanded.

Sheeta looked at Dola with tears in her eyes. "What did you want me to do? Let her hurt Pazu? I didn't want to help, but she gave me no choice."

"Mom, don't blame Sheeta." Said Henri. "You know what Avalon is like."

Dola sighed. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. There's nothin' we can do about it now."

"How long do you think it will be until we reach Laputa?" asked Pops.

"How should I know?" Dola cried. "There aren't even any windows in here, so we I can't even tell where we are. And there's no clock in here either, so I don't know how long we've been on this course."

"It doesn't matter." Said Lui. "Once we get to Laputa, we're dead."

"She said she wouldn't hurt you." Sheeta replied. "She said that she was going to turn you in to the authorities and collect the bounty."

Dola gave her a look of disbelief. "And you believed that?" she cried. "She can't go ta the authorities, because she's wanted too."

Sheeta's eyes widened. "I didn't even think of that! Oh no, I'm so stupid."

"Don't panic, Sheeta." Said Pazu. "There's got to be a way out of this. Do you know any spells that could help us?"

Sheeta nodded. "Yes, but I would need the _aetherium_ crystal."

"Then gettin' that crystal is our top priority!" Dola declared.

"But how are we going to do that." Asked one of the boys.

"We're the Dola Gang, we can do anythin'!"

"Maybe we can trick her into letting Sheeta have the crystal again." Charles suggested. "Remember those powerful winds and storm clouds that surround Laputa? We can tell Avalon that Sheeta needs to use the crystal to make them go away."

Dola shook her head. "It won't work. The closer the crystal gets ta Laputa, the more the storms fade."

Charles hung his head. "I forgot."

"I have an idea!" Pazu cried. He turned to his girlfriend. "Sheeta, remember when Muska was looking for Laputa's secret rooms? He needed the crystal to access them. He also said that only royalty can enter some of those rooms."

"So she'll need my help again!" said Sheeta, catching on.

"Hey, that's a pretty good idea." Said Dola. "But Avalon isn't interested in Laputa's technology. On top of that, it was destroyed."

Pazu nodded. "Yeah, but for all she knows, there could be treasure in some of those rooms."

Dola smiled. "Ah, I see what you're sayin'. This may work if we play our cards right."

"But Avalon has no more use for us." Sheeta realized. "She may not even come back in here until they leave."

Dola smirked. "Perhaps. But Avalon is the type of person that loves ta rub things in her opponents' faces. I'm sure she'll come down ta brag ta us."

---------------------------

Avalon smirked as the Wind Rider rose in altitude. This was finally it. She was going to Laputa. The legendary treasure would finally be hers. After all these years, she was finally going to achieve the ultimate treasure.

"_Captain, we're getting close to entering the earth's atmosphere."_ Said Don, over the intercom.

"I don't care." Avalon growled. "We're going. The crystal is showing us the way, and we're going to follow its lead."

"Captain, something is appearing on radar." Ray reported.

"Is it an airship?"

Ray looked at the radar for a minute. "No, I don't think so. It looks like… a tree."

Avalon lifted an eyebrow. "A tree?"

"Yeah, it seems to be growing out of a castle."

Avalon jumped to her feet. "That's it! That's Laputa!"

Janus looked confused. "I thought Laputa was an island."

"Well, what do you think that tree is growing on?" said Avalon excitedly. "Prepare for landing."

"Where are you going?" asked Ray, as his sister left the room.

Avalon smirked. "To gloat."

She marched down to the room the hostages were in with a triumphant smile on her face. She couldn't wait to see the look on Dola's face when she told the old hag that the treasure of Laputa now belonged to her.

"Hello again." she said, opening the door.

"What do you want?" Dola demanded, giving her the dirtiest look she could muster.

Avalon chuckled. "I just thought you would like to know that we're coming up on Laputa. The treasure will soon belong to me."

Dola cut her eyes at her. "Don't you mean you and your crew?"

"Captain gets 50 percent of the treasure." Avalon replied. "My crew splits the rest. They don't get as much, but they'll get more than you'll ever lay your hands on."

She laughed as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sheeta cried. "There's something you need to know."

Avalon turned back to her. "Oh, and what might that be?"

"I'll only tell you if you promise not to hurt others."

Avalon raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that what we had originally agreed on?"

"Dola said you were lying. So I want you to give me you're word that you won't hurt them."

Avalon crossed her arms. "Or what?"

Sheeta played her trump card. "There are secret rooms that only royalty can enter." she explained. "You won't be able to get in them without my help."

Avalon just snorted. "We have plenty of dynamite. We could blow open any sealed doors."

Sheeta gave the woman her best confident look. "Are you sure that's a good idea. Laputa is already falling apart. Causing an explosion might cause more of the castle to collapse. You wouldn't want to lose the treasure, now would you?"

Avalon frowned as she thought about this. "You're quite the negotiator, Princess. Very well, I'll agree to your terms. But if I find out that you're lying, it will be your little boyfriend that will pay the price."

She pulled Sheeta to her feet and led her out of the room. No one made any attempt to stop them, which Avalon found to be suspicious. Once she closed the door, she rounded on her.

"They didn't seem too worried about you this time."

Sheeta didn't look at her. "I told them to let me go with you. They didn't like it, but they agreed not to resist as long as you keep to your word."

Avalon eyed her suspiciously. "You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

"You're the lie detector." Sheeta snapped.

Avalon nodded didn't say anything, but she continued to look at the teenager suspiciously. She could normally tell when a person was lying based on their tone of voice, breathing level, and pupil reaction. Sheeta seemed to be telling the truth, but something fishy was definitely going on.

"Captain, why are you bringing the girl?" asked Boris.

Avalon shoved Sheeta forward. "She's going to be assisting us."

Boris shrugged. "Well, while she's assisting us, just look at what we've found."

He held up a golden crown, covered in jewels. Avalon's eyes widened as she eyed the crown greedily.

"Incredible." She whispered.

"And this is nothing compared to what else is in there."

Avalon smiled. "Excellent. You and the boys take everything you can get. The princess and I have a few secret rooms to investigate." She shoved Sheeta again. "Lets go."

"I need the crystal." Said Sheeta.

Avalon smirked. "Of course."

She placed the crystal in the girl's hand. Sheeta held it up and said the Laputan spell for Release. The crystal flashed with light. Inside the Wind Rider, Pazu and the others were freed from their bindings, and the door unlocked

Avalon gave Sheeta a curious look. "What was that?"

"You wanted me to open the hidden doors, didn't you?" Sheeta replied.

Avalon aggressively grabbed Sheeta by the hair. "I did." She said, snatching the crystal from the girl. "And they better be open."

Sheeta nodded. "They will be."

Now all she had to do was lead Avalon through Laputa in order to give the others enough time to escape. But then what was she supposed to do? How long could she lead Avalon on like this before the woman became suspicious?

'_Pazu,'_ she thought desperately, _'save me.'_

**(A****/N: They have arrived at Laputa. Sheeta managed to free the others, but now she is stuck with Avalon. Can Pazu and the others save her before Avalon gets suspicious? And what are they going to do about the rest of Avalon's gang. More to come soon, so leave e a review and stay tuned for more.)**


	8. Chapter 8: Escaping and Fighting Back

**(A/N: For some reason, I can't log on to on my computer. It's really weird. Even when I put my e-mail in, it still says I need to enter my e-mail. It works on other computers, but not mine. Anyone else having this problem? And if anyone knows how to fix it, please tell me. I can't update without logging on. Here's the next chapter, but I don't know how long it will be until the next update with this logging in problem.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 8: Escaping and Fighting Back**

"She did it!" Pazu cried as his bindings came loose.

"Thank goodness." Pops mumbled. "They made those things so tight that they cut off the blood circulation. I thought my hands were going to fall off."

"Shut up about your hands!" Dola snapped. "We've got ta save Sheeta from that woman and stop her from gettin' her hands on our treasure!" She turned to Pazu. "Ok then, Pazu, you and Sheeta explored more of this place the last time we were here, so where do we go?"

Pazu gave her a weird look. "How should I know? That was six years ago, not to mention we were a bit distracted. I have no idea how to get around this place."

Dola thought about it a moment. "Well, you know Sheeta better than anyone. What would she do and where would she go?"

Pazu considered this. "If I know Sheeta, she would pretend to be leading Avalon to a treasure hoard while we made our escape."

Dola gulped. "Clever girl, but this isn't good. If Avalon finds out that Sheeta was trickin' her, it wouldn't be good for her."

"I'm going to save her before anything happens." Pazu insisted.

"Wait!" Dola cried, stopping him. "Don't just go runnin' off. You're no match for Avalon. She's got those built in weapons, not ta mention her metal arm and leg at least quadruple her strength. On top of that, she's a skilled fighter. You're goin' ta need my help." She turned to her crew. "You guys take care of Ray and the others. Pazu and I will go save Sheeta. Let's go, boy."

"Mom, Pazu already left." Said Henri.

Dola turned around, surprised to discover that Pazu had indeed left without her. She found him just outside the Wind Rider, looking around for Avalon's crew. She clamped her hand over his mouth, startling him, but muffling his cry.

"What do you think your doin', runnin' off like that?" she hissed. "You don't understand how dangerous these people are. As long as Avalon thinks that she needs Sheeta, she won't hurt her too much. But she has no use for you anymore, except ta make Sheeta cooperate. She may just kill you if she sees you, and that goes for her crew as well."

Pazu pulled away from her. "I don't care what it takes, I'm going to save Sheeta."

"We will, just calm down. I told you, Sheeta is in no immediate danger, except maybe gettin' slapped few times."

"I'm not going to let Avalon slap Sheeta around!" Pazu looked up at the large castle. Where had they gone? There were so many paths to take, and he couldn't exactly ask Avalon's crew which way they went. "Where did they go?"

"Shush up." Dola hissed. "Avalon's metal limbs may make her stronger, but they're really loud. The tunnels in this place will amplify any sound. If we listen closely, we might be able ta follow her footsteps."

Pazu nodded. "Then lets get going."

"And they're off." Said Charles. "I really hope they can save Sheeta before Avalon roughs her up too much."

"It's out of our hands for now." Said Pops. "Lets just focus on stopping Ray and the others."

Henri groaned. "And just what are we going to do in our current situation?"

Charles slapped him over the head. "Hey, come on, don't think like that. We the Dola Gang! Just think what our many times over great grandparents would think if they heard you. They were the greatest thieves ever. They never gave up. We've got the blood of Arsène Lupin the third and Fujiko Mine running through our veins! Nothing can get in our way!"

He punched the air, looking victorious. The others just stared at him.

"But, they have guns." Said one of the boys. "We've got nothing."

Lui snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "No, we do have something!" he cried. "Avalon said that they had dynamite on the ship."

"So?"

Lui grinned. "So, I have an idea."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Avalon's heavy footsteps echoed through the halls. She was really getting impatient. Where was this hidden treasure? They had been walking around for over ten minutes now, but all they had found were rooms filled with roots, vines, and other plant life. Where was all the gold and jewels?

"I can't help but notice that there is no treasure here." she said.

Sheeta flinched. "Well, I don't know where anything is."

Avalon halted, pulling Sheeta to a stop. "I thought you said that there were hidden rooms that only royalty could enter that contained treasure."

Sheeta shook her head. "No, I said there _might_ be treasure in them."

Avalon grabbed her by the hair. "You're up to something. What are you trying to do?"

"I'm not trying to do anything."

Avalon slapped her. "You're lying. Where are you leading me?"

"I'm helping you find treasure."

Avalon growled. The blade popped out of her wrist and she held it to Sheeta's throat. "I don't like it when people play tricks on me."

Sheeta eyed the blade fearfully. "Are you going to kill me?"

Avalon just smirked. "No, my dear. I wouldn't waste you like that. I'm actually going to enjoy breaking you."

Sheeta didn't like the sound of that. "B-Breaking me?"

Avalon nodded. "Yes, Princess, breaking you. Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet."

"Figured what out?"

Avalon sighed. She held up the _aetherium_ crystal. "You're the only one who can use this. Having a magic user will be quite handy. I could get my hands on some real treasure and take down anyone that tries to stop me."

Sheeta shook her head. "No, I won't use the crystal to help you steal."

Avalon grinned wickedly. "Oh yes you will. As long as I have your beloved Pazu, you won't try anything against me. And it will only be a matter of time before I break you." She laughed at the horrified look on Sheeta's face. "Now then, lets go find this treasure."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Are the explosives in place?" Henri asked.

"All set." Said one of the boys.

Charles poked his head into the room where Avalon's gang was. They were piling treasure into crates and bags with greedy looks on their faces.

"They don't notice anything." he whispered. "Are you sure all the exits will be blocked?"

"We set the dynamite in all the right places." Lui replied. "They won't be able to get out." He scratched his chin. "Actually, the whole room may collapse."

"You better hope not." Pops snapped. "Your mother, Pazu, and Sheeta may be hurt if rooms start collapsing."

"Don't worry, Pops." Said Henri, lighting a match. "There isn't enough to make the room collapse." He lit the wick. "Quick, take cover."

The boys hurried over to the Wind Rider, ducking beneath the large airship. As they curled into fetal positions and stuck their fingers, they didn't notice Ray dragging out a large chest filled with gold. His eyes widened when he saw them squatting by the Wind Rider.

"Well, well." He sneered. "They got out." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What the heck are they doing?" He pulled out his gun and cocked it. "Oh well, they're dead now."

He took aim at the one most out in the open. His finger tightened on the trigger, and would have pulled had a hissing noise not reached his ears. Raising an eyebrow, Ray looked around for the source of the noise. It sounded like a spark.

Then he saw it. A fuss was lit, about to reach the sticks of dynamite that were laying right by his feet.

Ray's eyes widened as he did the only thing he could think of, which was call for his sister. "AVAL-"

The dynamite blew.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The ground shook as the force of the explosion shook all of Laputa. Dola lost her balance and fell right on top of Pazu, bring them both to the ground.

"Crimany! What are those boys doin'?" Dola cried. "Are they tryin' ta get caught?" She growled. "Well, whatever they're doin', they better have accomplished it or else they'll get caught."

"What about Sheeta?" said Pazu worriedly, trying to push Dola off of him. "What if Avalon does something to her because of the explosion?"

Dola sat up, crushing Pazu beneath her even more. "Then we better hurry. Hopefully she'll only think that it was her crew that caused the explosion." She paused for a moment. "Hey, do you hear something?"

"Hear what?" Pazu listened. He heard it too. "Sounds like the ground is… cracking…"

The two shared a worried look right before the stone floor beneath them collapsed.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Avalon grabbed the wall to balance herself as the room shook. Since Sheeta's hands were tied, she toppled over. Once the room stopped shaking, she aggressively pulled Sheeta to her feet.

"What was that?" she demanded.

Sheeta winced as Avalon pulled on her hair. "I don't know. I've been with you the whole time. Maybe you men had to use dynamite after all."

Avalon tightened her grip on the girl's hair. "I thought that Laputa was too unstable to use explosives."

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know! I know as much as you do."

Growling, Avalon shoved Sheeta up against the wall. She held up the _aetherium_ crystal. "What spell did you use on this? I know you're hiding something, now what is it?"

The roots on the walls were digging into Sheeta's back. She began rubbing her bounded wrists on the walls, searching for a sharp part to cut through the rope. "I told you already. In order to get through some of these rooms, the _aetherium_ crystal is needed. That's what I used it for. As for not using explosives, just take a look around. This place is ancient. I wasn't lying about it falling apart."

Avalon growled, not seeming to notice Sheeta cutting through her bindings. She could tell that the girl was still hiding something, and she didn't like it.

Looking back down the way they came, almost as if she expected someone to come after them, she said, "For your sake, as well as your friends', everything better be exactly the way I left it when we get back. Don't think I won't hesitate to-"

The ropes on Sheeta's hands fell away as she cut through them. Snatching the crystal out of Avalon's hands, she pushed the woman back and made a run for it. She ran over to one of the sealed doors and pressed the crystal up against it. The wall faded away, allowing Sheeta to pass through before it sealed shut again.

Avalon got to her feet, her eyes filled with cold fury. "That's it." She seethed, as she unscrewed her metal hand. "You're dead."

**(A****/N: Sheeta escaped, for now. But will Pazu and Dola find her in time? Where did they end up anyway? And what of the others? Did they trap Avalon's crew? So many questions, so little time. By the way, did you like how I snuck Lupin the Third in there? I was crossing over **_**'Castle of Cagliostro'**_**, great movie. As for updating again, I don't know when that will be due to this logging on problem. If anyone has any answers, please tell me. If not, leave me a review. Or both.)**


	9. Chapter 9: The Chase

**(A/N: Well, whatever was wrong with my computer seems to have fixed itself. I don't know what it was, but I'm glad the problem is solved. Anyway, about last chapter, I seemed to have confused a few people. You see, I like to make small crossovers with my Studio Ghibli fics. **_**Castle of Caliostro **_**is a **_**Lupin the Third**_** move written and directed by Miyazaki. Great movie, you should see it if you haven't. And now, on with the story.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 9: The Chase**

Pazu groaned as he rubbed his head. "Ow!" he cried. "That really hurt."

Dola, who had landed on top of him, rolled off. "Oh, my head. This is why usin' explosives was a bad idea. Those idiots. When we get back, I'm gonna-"

A piece of the rocky ceiling fell on her head, stopping her from saying whatever she was going to say. Pazu winced at the sound of the loud _thud_ of Dola's head being hit.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt. You ok, Dola?"

Dola curled up, rubbing her forehead. "I'll be fine." She looked around the room. "Where in the heck are we?"

Pazu looked around. He hadn't been in here the last time he had been to Laputa, he definitely would have remembered it if he did. The room was filled with, what appeared to be, family heirlooms worthy of the royal family.

"Jackpot!" Dola cried. "This stuff has gotta be worth a fortune!"

"Dola, focus!" Pazu snapped.

Dola stumbled to her feet, dusting herself off. "Can't help it. Piratin' is in my blood. Ooh, what's this?" She wandered over to a statue of a priest that was holding a red pillow with a ring resting on it. "This'll fetch a pretty penny."

"Dola!"

"I wonder if this diamond is _aetherium_."

"It's not." Pazu snapped, spotting the ancient writing on the wall beside the statue; Sheeta had been teaching him the Laputan language. "It's just…" His eyes widened as he read the inscription.

"And look at this!" Dola ran over to the sculpture of a man and a woman's head wearing golden crowns. "I think these are the crowns of the royal family. Maybe the diamonds on them are _aetherium _too."

Pazu looked at the crowns, spotting more inscriptions. "They're the king and queen's crowns. Whether the diamonds or crystals or whatever those jewels are _aetherium _or not doesn't matter. We have to go find-"

"And feast your eyes on this!" She hurried over to a table covered in jewelry. "I bet this was the queen's jewelry."

"DOLA!" Pazu yelled. "Sheeta's still in trouble. We need to go."

Dola shook her head, coming back to reality. "Right, sorry. Lets go."

They hurried out of the room, into a hallway that seemed to go on forever, doors on each side, going all the way down the hall.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Pazu shouted in frustration.

"Keep your voice down!" Dola snapped, talking even louder than Pazu. "These halls echo. Do you want Avalon to know we're loose?"

Pazu covered his mouth. "Sorry, but this ridiculous. How are we supposed to know where to go?"

Dola looked to the left and right, tapping her chin. "Hmm, we'll have ta split up. Pazu, you take the left, and I'll take the right."

Not seeing any other way, Pazu nodded. "Ok, be careful."

"_You_ be careful!"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Sheeta ran, wanting to get as far away from Avalon as possible. She needed to find Pazu and the others. She hoped that the explosion she had heard was a good thing, meaning that Pazu and the others had gotten away, or were at least fighting back.

Pausing to catch her breath, Sheeta looked behind her to see if Avalon was chasing her. She knew that the door had sealed shut behind her, but Avalon had that built in cannon. Was the wall strong enough to hold that back? Probably not, yet the explosion had yet to come. Perhaps Avalon had decided not to cause anymore explosions, at least not while they were in a place that could cave in.

Convinced that she wasn't being followed, for the moment anyway, she glanced at the _aetherium_ crystal in her hand. This was the last one; she and Pazu had dropped the other one six years ago when they had used the Spell of Destruction to defeat Muska. If worst came to worst, she would use the spell again to save Pazu and the others, but only as a last resort. Besides, Laputa might not withstand the use of that spell again.

"Even if I do get caught, I can't let Avalon get her hands on this crystal." She said to herself. Right now, the crystal was the only reason Avalon had kept Sheeta alive. Sheeta swore never to allow Avalon to use her, but she was terrified that she might do something to Pazu if she didn't cooperate.

The ground shook as an explosion went off. It looked like Avalon had decided to use her cannon after all. The ceiling cracked and pieces fell. They would have hit Sheeta had she not used the _aetherium_ crystal's power to shield herself.

'_That was close.' _She thought. _'I have to leave before Avalon finds me.'_

She took off again, getting lost in the labyrinth that was Laputa.

Avalon screwed her hand back on, an angry scowl on her face. How dare that brat push her and take the crystal. She would pay for it. That crystal belonged to her, and Sheeta was meant to obey her.

"I'll just have to teach her a lesson." She seethed as the blade popped out of her wrist. "Maybe I'll carve my name on her back so she knows that she belongs to me." Her fists clenched. "If only I could work the crystal without her, she'd be dead."

She stormed through the hole she made in the wall, sending sparks flying as she dragged her blade along the wall. If that girl thought she could escape, she had another thing coming. She had known that the brat was hiding something, she should have forced the truth out of her earlier.

"I'll find you, Sheeta, and when I do, I'll make you pay."

An evil grin crept up her face as she thought out Sheeta's punishment.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Lui sighed as he leaned against the Wind Rider. He looked over at Charles, who was returning from his inspection of the room Avalon's gang had been in. "Well?" he asked.

Charles gave him a thumbs-up. "Completely sealed. There's no way they're getting out of there. Avalon's gang is finished."

"Thank goodness." One of the boys remarked. "Now only Avalon is left." He tapped his chin. "Why is it that the big bad bosses are always the last ones to go?"

Henri jumped to his feet. "Speaking of Avalon, we should tell Mom that she's the only one left." He looked up at the window that the control room was behind. "Hey, Pops, toss us down our walkie-talkies!"

Pops, who had been in the Wind Rider's control room, trying to learn how to work the controls, poked his head out the window. "What?"

"The walkie!" Henri repeated. "Toss it down! We wanna tell Mom that everything's alright!"

Pops nodded. "Yeah, sure, hold on!"

He disappeared inside before tossing down the walkie-talkie. Henri fumbled with it, nearly dropping it before his hands closed around it. "Phew, nearly dropped it. Mom, come in. Mom."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Dola hurried through what had once been the inside of a beautiful city. She tried to remember which turns she had taken so she could get back to that room with the Laputa heirlooms, but it was impossible; there were just too many twists and turns. If only she had something that she could use to mark the path she's taken.

'_Don't worry about treasure right now.'_ She scolded herself. _'Sheeta's in trouble, not ta mention that my boys might be in a bit of a fix.'_

No sooner had she thought this, the walkie-talkie attached to her belt spoke. _"Mom, come in. Mom."_

Dola jumped at the unexpected voice. "What the, who's there?" She unhooked the walkie-talkie and brought it to her mouth. "Yeah, who is it?"

"_Mom, it's Henri. You there?"_

Dola blinked. "Of course I'm here, you nitwit! How else would I be talkin' to you?"

"_S-Sorry, Mom. Just thought I'd tell you that we beat Avalon's gang."_

Dola's eyes widened. "What? You did? Really?"

"_Really."_

"That's great!" Dola shouted, regardless of having been the one to tell Pazu to keep quiet. "How'd you beat them?"

"_They were in the room filled with treasure and we used the dynamite to seal them in." _He snickered. _"They're gonna die rich."_

The walkie-talkie fell from her hands as pure shock registered on her face. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she picked it up again. "That's all fine and dandy, but tell me something, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET TA THE TREASURE IF YOU SEALED THE ROOM!"

There was no response from the other end, indicating Henri's stunned silence. _"I… that's… we just… darn, didn't think of that."_

"WELL, YOU'RE SURE THINKIN' OF IT NOW, AREN'T YOU! I SWEAR, WHEN I GET BACK, I'M GONNA BEAT THE STUFFIN' OUT OF YOU!"

She hooked the walkie-talkie back on to her belt and continued on her way, fuming the whole time. This was just her luck; they got to Laputa not once, but twice, and she'll still never be able to lay her hands on Laputa's treasure.

She shook her head. _'There are more important things. Sheeta, Pazu, I really hope you're ok. I don't want ta lose anymore of my children ta that monster.'_

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Avalon's threats echoed through the halls, reaching Sheeta's ears. She had no idea where she was going. Anyway was good, as long as it led away from Avalon, and hopefully closer to Pazu. If only there was some way she could be pointed in the right direction.

'_That's it!'_

She clenched the _aetherium_ crystal in her had, wondering how to word this. She settled for 'point me to the one I love', speaking the words in the Laputan language. A red beam of light shot out of the crystal, showing her where Pazu was. Unfortunately, the beam of light was pointing to a stonewall. The crystal was showing her where Pazu was, but not how to get to him.

"Well, it's better than nothing." She murmured.

"Sheeta!"

Avalon's angry voice sounded too close for comfort. Sheeta began running again. She followed the beam of light as best as she could, taking the turns that led her in the direction Pazu was supposedly in.

"Sheeta!"

'_This better be the right way.'_

"Get back here!"

'_If not, I'm a goner.'_

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Hang on, Sheeta, I'm coming." Pazu whispered as he ran through the halls of Laputa.

He prayed she was all right. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. If only he had seen through Avalon's lies. If only he hadn't let her be taken away. He _had_ to rescue her, at all costs.

"Sheeta!"

Pazu skidded to a halt as he heard Avalon scream Sheeta's name. Did that mean Sheeta had escaped? From the tone of Avalon's voice, he had a feeling that she just might have. Now if only he could find her before Avalon did.

He paused for a moment, listening for the direction Avalon's voice was coming in. It didn't come. She had stopped calling her name, but another sound reached his ears. It was the heavy _thump, thump_ of Avalon's metal foot stomping on the ground as she ran. It echoed through the halls, letting Pazu know that she was close by.

'_That might mean that Sheeta is near.'_ He thought, though he didn't dare to call for her.

He hurried down the hall, listening as the heavy echoing footsteps of Avalon got closer. He turned a corner and-

_Pow!_

"Ow!" Pazu and Sheeta cried. They blinked and looked at each other.

"Pazu?"

"Sheeta?"

They embraced, beyond relieved that the other was all right.

"Oh, Pazu, I was so worried, especially after that explosion."

"Me? It was _you_ I was worried about after Avalon took you away."

Reality came back to Sheeta. "She's coming now." She held out the _aetherium_ crystal. "I took the crystal, if we can get away, maybe we can leave her here."

Pazu nodded. "As mean as that sounds, I agree with you." He grabbed her hand. "Come on, we're leaving."

He pulled her along as they ran, Avalon close behind.

**(A****/N: Reunited, but still in danger. Pazu and Sheeta are still on the run. Can Dola find them before Avalon catches up? And talk about a stupid mistake on Dola's Gang's part. Obviously, they hadn't thought about getting any treasure when they were sealing off the room. By the way, there is an important part in this chapter that will come into play later. Lets see if you can find and remember it.)**


	10. Chapter 10: An Old Friend

**(A/N: Got a surprise for you in this chapter. I'm going to bring up something from the movie that none of you probably don't think is all that important. You'll know it when you see it, er, read it. Enjoy.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 10: An Old Friend**

Finally, the exit was in sight. Pazu pulled Sheeta along as they made it out of the maze-like insides of Laputa. Unfortunately, they ended up on the bridge-like structure that circled around Laputa. This left them with only one direction to run in until they found a place to climb down.

"What now?" asked Sheeta.

"Only one way to go." Pazu replied.

"Sheeta!"

The two teens turned around to see Avalon storming out of Laputa's inner walls. Her remaining eye widened when she saw Pazu. "You! How did you?" Her fists clenched. "I knew she was hiding something." The blade popped out of her wrist. "Now you'll both pay."

"Come on, Sheeta!"

Sheeta didn't hesitate to start running. Avalon was close behind, her blade slicing through the air as she ran. Pazu and Sheeta were a lot faster since Avalon's metal arm and leg slowed her down. Growling in frustration, she unscrewed her metal hand and took aim.

Her cannon fired, but she wasn't aiming for Pazu and Sheeta, but ahead of them. The teens jumped back from the explosion, trying to avoid the ground as it began cracking beneath their feet.

Avalon came up behind them, smirking as she had them cornered. "Looks like I caught two runaways." She reached forward and grabbed Sheeta by the hair. Pazu attempted to grab Sheeta, but Avalon pointed her blade at him as she twisted Sheeta's arm behind her back. "Careful, boy. You don't want to mess with me right now."

"Let her go!" Pazu snapped, attempting to get closer, regardless of Avalon's threat.

Avalon moved her blade so it was pressing against Sheeta's throat. "Uh, uh, uh, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your little girlfriend, would you?"

Pazu froze, his eyes fixed worriedly on Sheeta. He glared at Avalon, hoping his plan would work. "Let her go," he held up the _aetherium_ crystal, "or I'll throw this into the ocean."

Avalon stiffened as she looked at the stone in Pazu's hand. She growled and pressed the blade closer to Sheeta's throat. "If you do that, then I won't have any use for Sheeta anymore. I'll kill her without hesitation."

Pazu held the crystal tightly. They were at a standby. He was threatening to throw away the crystal if Avalon hurt Sheeta, and she was threatening to kill Sheeta if he threw away the stone.

"Just let her go." Pazu seethed. "You can have the crystal, just let Sheeta go."

"You're not calling the shots, boy! I am! Now give me the crystal."

Sheeta shook her head. "Don't do it, Pazu. She'll kill me as soon as she gets it."

Avalon chuckled. "Really? Then who would I get to use the crystal? I need you, dear, or else the crystal won't be of any use to me, besides fetching a pretty penny on the market."

Pazu shook with fear and anger. He didn't trust Avalon in the least, but what she said made sense. It seemed to be the only way to get Sheeta out of this alive. He would have to hand over the crystal to her, and then he and Sheeta would become her prisoners again.

"You have five seconds." Said Avalon. "Five, four, three-"

"Ok!" Pazu shouted. "Ok, you can have it, just don't hurt her."

Avalon released Sheeta, but kept the blade pressed to her throat, as she held out her hand. Slowly Pazu held out the _aetherium_ crystal, and was about to drop it in her hand.

"Hey, Avalon!"

All three heads turned to the sound of the voice. Several feet below them stood Dola, giving Avalon a look of pure hatred.

"You got out too." Avalon seethed. "What are my brother and men doing?"

Sheeta used the opportunity while Avalon was distracted to use her now free arm to elbow Avalon in the gut. Avalon gasped in pain and Sheeta pulled away. Unfortunately, she stepped on the ground that had been damaged by Avalon's cannon and it gave way. Sheeta fell, falling several stories to the rapidly approaching ground.

"SHEETA!" Pazu cried.

The crystal glowed brightly in his hand as a beam of light shot out of it. It hit Sheeta, engulfing her in red light, stopping her fall, letting her slowly drift down to Dola, who caught the girl.

"Sheeta, you ok?" she asked.

Sheeta nodded. "I'm fine." She looked back up at Pazu. "Pazu, throw away the crystal! Throw it into the sea and get rid of it for good!"

Gasping for breath, Avalon looked up, clutching her stomach. "Don't… don't you… d-dare…"

Pazu ignored her as he threw the crystal with all his strength. It flew through the air, out over the open ocean, before it began its decent. In seconds, it was nothing more than a red speck over a never-ending sea of blue, before it vanished from sight completely.

"No!" Avalon cried, reaching out. Her hand trembled as she left it hanging in the air, almost as if she were hoping the crystal would come back to her. But it didn't, and it wouldn't. It was gone for good. Her outstretched hand clenched into a fist as she shook with cold fury. She gave Pazu a look of such anger and hatred that it made him take a step back. "I'm going to kill you."

She spoke in a calm yet cold voice. Her tone scared Pazu more than he would ever admit. He immediately turned tail and ran as Avalon slowly got to her feet. She didn't chase after him, but instead began slowly unscrewing her hand.

"You won't get away." She said calmly as she took aim. "It's time for you to die."

_Click._

Avalon blinked and fired again.

_Click, click, click._

She blinked again. She couldn't believe it; she was out of ammo. Why now of all times? Now the kid had a head start on her. Her cold fury became raging anger as she angrily slammed her metal hand on her wrist, not even bothering to screw it on, and gave chase.

"She's going after him!" Sheeta cried.

"Come on, what're you waitin' for?" Dola cried.

The two began running along the bottom of the bridge-like structure as they attempted to keep up with the two on top of it.

Pazu was now huffing and puffing from running so much. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Avalon gaining on him as she was being fueled by pure anger. She was determine to kill him, and nothing was going to stop her. And after she finished with him, she was going to put an end to the Laputan race by killing Sheeta.

Turning forward again, Pazu skidded to a halt as he came to a major problem. There was a large gap on the structure that was much too far to jump. And to make it worse, there was no way for him to get down. In other words, he was trapped.

Turning around, he prepared to face Avalon head on. But Avalon was already throwing herself at him, tackling him to the ground, both of them nearly going over the edge.

Pazu tried to fight her off, but Avalon's enhanced strength allowed her to pin him down. She held him down as the blade popped out of her wrist. His death was in her eye, and Pazu saw it. She was going to kill him, and he couldn't stop her.

"Pazu, no!" Sheeta shouted from down below.

"Don't you hurt him!" Dola cried.

Avalon, if she even heard them, ignored their cries as she raised her metal arm, ready to pierce Pazu's heart.

"And now, you die." She declared.

Her metal arm shot forward, but stopped suddenly, the blade less than an inch from Pazu's chest. Confusion registered over Avalon's face as she looked over her shoulder. A large metal hand, covered in moss, was holding her back from making the killing blow.

"What are you?" Avalon cried. "Let go!"

The robot ignored her as it lifted her up, holding her by her hand. Avalon began kicking it in the chest with her metal leg, accomplishing nothing. Her strength was nothing against the Laputan robot.

"You freak, let me go!" Avalon shouted. "I'm going to turn you into scrap metal!"

The robot merely cocked its head to the side and made a _beeping_ noise. Almost carelessly, it tossed her aside, off the bridge-like structure. Avalon fell screaming to the ground, landing with a loud thud several feet away from Dola and Sheeta. She didn't get up or even move.

"Is she…" said Sheeta.

"Who cares?" Dola snapped. "Hey, Pazu, you ok?"

He nodded, then, realizing that they couldn't see him nodding, said, "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked up at the large dirty robot. "Thank you, robot."

The robot _beeped_ again, and then casually raised its arms and took flight. Pazu smiled and looked down at Sheeta and Dola. "I'll be down soon. Just stay there, I'll come to you."

"Well hurry up!" Dola shouted. "We don't feel like waitin' here for you forever!"

Pazu nodded and hurried back the way he came, hoping he could find his way through Laputa's city before Dola got too impatient with him.

Sheeta sighed in relief and rested against the stonewall. "Thank goodness. Now we can go home. I've had enough adventure for a while."

Dola chuckled. "Some people just aren't meant ta be pirates." She frowned. "But the adventure isn't over yet. We still need ta get back ta my boys. And this place isn't exactly easy ta get around."

Sheeta nodded in agreement. "Let's just wait for Pazu before getting lost again."

Dola groaned. "Well let's at least take a look around and see if we can figure out where ta go. Hey wait!" She pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Boys, come in, this is your captain."

After a moment's pause. _"We're hear, Mom. What's up?"_

"Call me Captain! Now listen up, we're all safe, but we're a little lost. Take a look around and tell us what you see."

"_What we see? Um, ok. There's a big tree, a few stone pillars, a statue of a soldier, a-"_

"Be more descriptive!" Dola snapped. "Tell me somethin' I can recognize!"

"_Oh, right. Sorry. Ok then, let me see. There's a large sculpture of an eagle crouching down. It's missing its left wing and has its mouth open."_

Dola looked around. "No, I don't see anythin' like that. Tell me somethin' else."

"_Ok, um… how about- Hey, what are you doing?"_

"_Mom, you there, it's Charles."_

"_Give it back!"_

"_No way, it's my turn now!"_

"Will you boys quit arguin' and work with me!"

"_Sorry, Mom. Ok, there are these two pillars next to each other. The one on the left broke and is resting against the one on the right. It's also covered with moss on the top-"_

"Ok, I think I see it. Are some birds flyin' by it?"

"_Yeah, that's it."_

Dola nodded. "Ok, now we know where you are. Just sit tight, we'll come ta you."

"_Yes, Mom."_

"Captain!"

"_Right, Captain, sorry."_

She reattached the walkie-talkie to her belt. "Ok, Sheeta, they're on the other side of this wall."

Sheeta ran her hand over the old structure. "Do you think we can break through?"

Dola knocked on it. "It's really old. Maybe we can. HIYA!" She kicked the wall. One of the stone blocks shifted. "That's workin'. Help me, Sheeta."

The girl nodded. "Yes, right."

"Just be careful, we don't want the whole thing comin' down on us."

"Uh… right…"

Carefully, they began breaking through the wall. After making a few holes, they saw the Wing Rider on the other side, about 70 feet away. What they didn't see was Avalon's remaining eye flicker open.

Shifting slightly, Avalon slowly began to get up, wincing in pain as she did so. Luckily, she had landed on her metal arm, which had basically saved her life. But based upon the pain in her chest, she had probably broken a few ribs, along with her actual leg. She winced again as she forced herself to her feet, thankful that her metal leg gave her enough support so she could stand.

Putting her hand on her head, she looked around, still determine to finish Pazu off. Then she was going to get that stupid robot, along with Sheeta and Dola.

'_Well, speak of the devil.'_ She thought, spotting the pirate and the princess shifting pieces of a stonewall.

Grinning, she limped over to the, wincing with each step. She pushed against the wall to help give further support as she closed in on her prey. She was going to enjoy this. They would be dead before they even knew what hit them.

----------------------------

There were so many twists and turns in this place that Pazu wasn't sure where to go. A map would really come in use right now.

"Wasn't I already here?" he wondered out loud. He made a turn and came to a winding staircase. "Well, I needed to go down anyway."

Round and round he went, wondering just how many stairs there were. He passed by a window and paused here to look out and see where he was. It was only about an eight-foot drop, so he just jumped, falling down when he landed.

"Ouch! Not the best idea. At least I'm on the same level as Sheeta and Dola."

Getting to his feet, he hurried over to where he thought Dola and Sheeta should be, based on the bridge-like structure he had been running on. If he just followed it, he should get to them.

He didn't have that far to go before he turned a corner. He froze as he saw Sheeta and Dola breaking through a wall, completely oblivious to that fact that Avalon was right behind them, ready to strike.

"NO!"

He broke out into a run. The three women turned at the sound of his voice, Sheeta and Dola just now noticing Avalon.

Pazu dove at Avalon, tackling her. With her broken leg, she couldn't remain standing, and they both fell over. The moment they hit the ground, it gave way, being too old to support the sudden impact of Avalon's metal limbs. Both Pazu and Avalon fell through the hole.

"PAZU!" Sheeta and Dola cried.

Sheeta moved forward, but Dola grabbed her and held her back.

"Let me go!"

"Are you crazy? That ground is unstable!"

Sheeta kept struggling. "I have to help him!"

"There's nothin' you can do!"

Sheeta pulled away, causing both of them to fall over. Sheeta crawled over to the whole and looked down. She saw nothing but the blue ocean.

**(A****/N: Cliffhanger, ha, ha! Man I love cliffhangers, well, when I leave them. How did you like how a made the robot save Pazu? Were you surprised? Good. But now what's going to happen to Pazu and Avalon? Find out next time.)**


	11. Chapter 11: The Return

**(A/N: Sorry this took so long to update, but I've been so busy that it's been hard to get a moment to right. Anyway, I know you're all anxious about what happens, well, wait no longer. Enjoy the last chapter. Yup, this is the last one.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 11: The Return**

"Stop wiggling!" Pazu cried, hanging onto the root as tightly as he could.

Both he and Avalon were at the very bottom of Laputa, clinging to one of the roots of the largest tree. Beneath them was nothing but air, and a seemingly endless drop into the ocean.

The sound of the root snapping made the two people holding onto it gasp fearfully. It didn't break, but it was getting close.

Pazu sighed in relief. "That was close. Avalon, will you stop moving around! The root is going to snap!"

Avalon growled, looking up at Pazu. Unfortunately for her, she was at the very bottom of the root. Her metal hand had an unbreakable iron grip on it, but she was trying to reach up and grab more of the root with her other hand, which constantly shook them, loosening the root even more.

"I said st-"

"I heard you!" Avalon snapped. "How else am I supposed to get up?"

Pazu growled. "I'll help you, just stop or else we'll both fall."

Despite the situation, Avalon couldn't help but laugh. "And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm nothing like you. As cruel as you are, I won't let you die."

Avalon began grinding her teeth together in frustration, but decided that she had no other choice but to trust him. "Fine, then what do we do?"

Pazu couldn't believe that he was doing this. "I'll come to you. Just hang on."

Avalon watched in disbelief as Pazu climbed further down the root. A small smirk crept up her face. "Oh, Pazu, you really are a fool." She told him.

He ignored her comment. "Just shut up and grab my foot."

Avalon looked back up at him. "Well kid, you may be a fool, but you've really got guts. I'll give you props for that."

"This root isn't going to hold forever!"

Avalon didn't say anything as she reached up to grab his ankle. "A little lower."

Still unable to believe what he was doing, Pazu crawled down some more. Avalon reached up again, her fingers grazing the bottom of his shoe.

_Pop!_

Her metal hand disconnected, a result of not screwing it on properly in her anger when she realized she had been out of ammo. She cried out as she fell down to the open ocean. Pazu shut his eyes tightly, trying not to listen to Avalon's fading voice. Finally the only thing he heard was the wind blowing. Looking down, he saw only Avalon's metal hand tightly grasping the bottom of the root.

"I'm sorry, Avalon." He said. "I really am."

He began climbing again, this time going up. The root snapped some more as he got closer to the place it was breaking. Pazu froze, trying to remain perfectly still. He looked up, seeing the next closest root just a few feet away.

"I can make it." He said.

He began climbing again, getting closer and closer to the point where the root was breaking, barely still attached. It cracked some more and Pazu stopped. He didn't think he could go any higher without causing the root to snap.

He reached for the other root. This one looked much stronger than the one he was clinging to. His fingers grazed, trying to get a grip. The fact that his hands were sweating weren't helping. He was just inches away. Maybe he could grab it if he lunged for it.

There was a _snap_ as the root finally broke.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Dola led the weeping Sheeta over to the Wind Rider. She didn't know what to say to the girl. Her beloved had fallen to his death, and she'd had to watch. All Dola could think to do was to gently shush the girl and whisper words of comfort in her ear.

"Please, stop cryin', Sheeta. Pazu would be happy that you're safe. He wouldn't want you cryin' your eyes out."

Sheeta shook her head. "It's my fault. I told him to throw away the crystal. If he still had it, it would have stopped his fall."

Dola patted the girl on the back. "It's not your fault, dear. None of us knew that this would happen. And even if he did have the crystal, he would have been left out in the middle of the ocean and drowned."

This didn't help in the least, as Sheeta continued crying. Dola just sighed as she continued to lead the girl on. "I'm so sorry, Sheeta. If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I got you and Pazu involved with Laputa long ago, and Avalon went after you because of it. I know this won't help, but I promise that it'll get better soon."

She began crying louder. "Oh, Pazu, what am I going to do without you? I _can't_ go on without you! I _need_ you, Pazu! Why, why, why? Pazu, I love you, come back! It wasn't supposed to be like this! We were supposed to grow old together and watch our children become parents! We were supposed to live happily together! We… we… Oh, Pazu!"

Dola wiped away her own tears. "Yes, it's not fair, I know. When we get back, we'll give him a proper funeral. We'll even make a grave for him. We can even-"

"Mom! Sheeta!"

Dola's boys were running towards them. Their joyful expressions became one of worry.

"What happened?" asked Henri. "Where's Pazu?"

Sheeta began screaming hysterically. Dola shook her head, earning shocked gasps from everyone.

"D-Don't cry, Sheeta." Said Lui.

"Yeah, you can come with us." Said one of the boys. "We'll take care of you."

"Lets just get out of here." said Dola. "The sooner the better."

Pops wiped his eyes. "W-Well then, lets get going. I've got the controls figured out. We can leave now."

Dola nodded as she helped Sheeta along. "Don't worry, dearie, we'll get you home, and everythin' will be all right."

"There is no home without Pazu." Sheeta replied.

They all boarded the Wind Rider, taking one last look at the ancient city of Laputa.

"Engines are ready." Said Pops. "Preparing for takeoff."

The Wind Rider began moving, separating from the landing platform of Laputa.

"Take her down, nice and easy." Said Dola. "Lets get Sheeta home."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Speaking of Sheeta, she was sitting by the window, watching the castle in the sky as it slowly faded away in the distance. When she could no longer see it, she turned away, and it was in that moment that she saw it.

"DOLA!"

Everyone jumped when they heard Sheeta's cry. Everyone, save Pops, who was flying the Wind Rider, hurried over to the Laputan princess.

"Sheeta, what's wrong?" Dola asked worriedly.

"Look!" she cried, pointing out the window.

They did so. They couldn't believe their eyes. Hanging onto the wing of the Wind Rider was Pazu.

"I don't believe it!" Dola cried. "You, go out and get him."

"What?" cried one of the boys. "Why me?"

"Because I'm the captain and I said so!"

Reluctantly, the selected pirate tied a robe around his waist and went out to get Pazu. The others reeled them in, cheering happily when they were safely inside.

"PAZU!" Sheeta cried, throwing herself at him. "Pazu, I thought I had lost you!"

Pazu chuckled. "You almost did." He replied. "I managed to grab onto the roots at the bottom. Even then I almost fell, but I grabbed another root at the last second."

It had been a very close call. He would never forget it.

_Pazu's fingers were grazing the root as he stretched as far as he could. The root he was currently holding onto was about to give way. Taking a deep breath, he dove for it, a split second before the root he was holding finally snapped. It dropped away from Laputa, Avalon's metal hand still holding tightly onto the end._

_Pazu received major rope-burn, or in this case_ root_-burn, as he slid down the vine. He wrapped his feet around it and slowly came to a stop. Safe for the moment, he breathed a sigh of relief._

"_Phew, hard parts over." He muttered. "I hope."_

_Looking up, he saw he had a_ long _way to go before he reached any part of the castle. He began the long climb. He thought he saw an opening about 80 feet above him that would allow him to get back on solid ground, and he headed for it, hoping the ground was stable enough to support his weight._

_He felt like he had been climbing for hours before he finally grabbed the edge. As he pulled himself up, pieces of the floor started to fall away, and he quickly scrabbled up._

_Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, he laid on his pack, resting his aching arms. Then a single name flew threw his head._

_'Sheeta.'_

_Pazu's eyes snapped open. Was she ok? What about the others? Avalon may be gone, but what about her gang? Did Dola's boys beat them?_

_"This is no time to rest." He muttered._

_Hopping to his feet, he ran to as close to the edge of Laputa as he dared, looking around for any sign of the Wind Rider or the others. He was hoping to see where to go, but what he saw instead was the Wind Rider flying circling around towards him, or just a little below him to be exact. They were leaving, and he was still here._

_This immediately let Pazu know that it had been Dola's gang that won the battle. It couldn't be Avalon's crew, since she fell to her death, and her men didn't know that, and they wouldn't leave without her._

_But Sheeta and the others thought Pazu had fallen to his death as well, and they were leaving him. Unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life on Laputa, there was only one thing to do._

_"I'm out of my mind!" he cried, as he jumped off the edge as the Wind Rider flew past._

_He collided painfully with the wing of the aircraft, and held on for dear life. He cou7ldn't believe it, he made it. Now all he had to do was hold onto the wing until they arrived home, or until someone noticed him out here._

_He prayed the latter happened._

"Thankfully you noticed me." He said. "I didn't think I could hold on much longer, let alone for the rest of the way back home."

Dola slapped him on the back. "That's just like you! You're a true survivor! But what happened to Avalon?"

Pazu sighed sadly and shook his head. "She didn't make it. She was holding onto the root too, but her metal hand came loose."

Dola just snorted. "Well, good riddance!" She turned to her husband. "Now lets get out of here."

Pops nodded. "I'm on it." He looked at the teenagers. "I'll drop you off at your house before we return to Smuggler's Paradise."

Sheeta nodded, now crying tears of joy as she clung to Pazu. "Sounds good."

"Yeah," Pazu agreed, "I've had more than enough adventure for awhile."

_2 weeks later_

"For goodness sake, Pazu, will you stop fooling around and tell me what's going on."

Pazu just kept smiling as he continued to pull Sheeta along until they reached his destination.

"Do you know where we are, Sheeta?" he asked.

Sheeta looked around, wondering why Pazu had brought her to his work, before she took a guess. "Um, isn't this where I floated down and you caught me?"

Pazu nodded. "Yup. You floated right down here and I caught you in my arms. But you weren't the only one falling. I was falling too… in love with you."

Sheeta blushed. "Oh, Pazu, that's so sweet. I love you too."

Pazu smiled. "Do you think your ancestors would frown on a princess marrying a commoner like me?"

Sheeta chuckled. "Oh, Pazu, you're anything but common. And even if they did, I wouldn't care."

"Then… would you…" Pazu asked, "marry me?"

He got down on one knee and took out the ring he had gotten from Laputa. Sheeta's eyes widened in shock. "P-Pazu?"

"A ring worthy for a princess." Said Pazu. "I got this from Laputa. According to the inscription, this was the engagement ring given to the future queen, given to her by her intended." He gave her a smile. "_Princess Lucita Toel Ul Laputa,_ will you become my wife?" In answer, Sheeta threw herself at Pazu, holding him so tightly that he couldn't breathe. "Is that a yes?"

"Not quite." Said Sheeta, crying tears of joy. "It's more of a dream come true. Of course I'll marry you, Pazu. I've been yours since the moment you caught me."

**THE END**

**(A/N: And so ends another story. I hope you all liked it. I hope the ending didn't seem too rushed. I always have trouble with the endings of my stories. By the way, how do you like how Pazu proposed. Did you really think I would kill him off? I'm not that mean… well, not usually. If you liked this story, I hope you'll look into my next one. It's a **_**Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind**_** story. I think it's going to be better than this one. Well, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope to see you again. Later.)**


End file.
